Communications Data Bill and why it should be opposed

[Kanonfodda]

Don't know if anyone is interested about this, but it's worth airing your views on it. This is the email I sent to my MP this morning.

It seems that our government refuses to listen to the people about what is acceptable and what is not. But worse, they refuse to listen to the people with the technical knowledge as to why things like the Communications Data Bill are bad.

Our leaders claim that by logging everything we do online it will aid the security services with investigations. However they fail to realise what logging everything will push more people to use encryption, thus making the job of the security forces even harder.

Not only will this make the job of our security forces harder, it will encroach on our civil liberties and right to privacy. There is also the issue of censorship. People will stop looking at things they enjoy so as to avoid embarrassment should they become public. I'm not talking about illegal or even immoral things, but certainly things that have an undeserved social stigma. What happens when it is decided that giving companies access to the data will help pay for the system? What about when the inevitable security breech occurs and all our personal data is available to the highest bidder?

I strongly oppose this bill and what it represents for the UK and I would hope that the duly elected official for Gillingham and Rainham has the intelligence to recognise this as a dangerous piece of legislation that should be stopped as soon as possible.

[YaZoR]

Too fucking right KF.

An open and free (ie non-consored) web is the way to go...........
Networks are vulnerable now as ever, and with logging of "everything" will become targets, and they _will_ be infiltrated.

[DrFesty]

So much agree. Bills like that just drive everything underground -.-

[Twysta]

I wonder how people in charge sometimes can be so freakin' stupid. =/
Such a terrible idea.

[Kanonfodda]

Because we let them, is the simple answer. How many people who have read and replied to this thread actually contacted their MP to air their views?

[CyberDrac]

I'll apply my literary skills to Rehman Chisti and see what happens, I'll read up on it some more and see if I can come up with a decent argument.

[CyberDrac]

So, my understanding is that they aren't asking for anything that they can't already do, except that at the moment they have to get a court order, and in the future they won't? So they no longer have to convince a judge that there is probable cause to invade someone's privacy? So my understanding is that they will only catch stupid criminals and inconvenience everyone else while the serious criminals will evade tracking and detection?