Being seriously concerned about the reports that the Government was considering the creation of a central database that would be used to record all internet traffic, emails and voice over IP communications I contacted my MP (the current home secretary Jacqui Smith) to let her know what I thought using the fantastic site Write To Them on 16th July 2008 as follows:
Dear Jacqui Smith,
Once again I am dismayed by your continued attack on the basic human
rights and civil liberties in this country in the name of unachievable
security. Here I am referring to the Interception Modernisation
Programme which just beggars belief, who on Earth wants this level of
intrusion into their privacy and right to free speech?
I did not vote for you and I most certainly did not give you authority
to do this!
Yours sincerely,
Andrew A Maggs
Jacqui replied by snail mail on 25th July 2008 see below (this letter was quite difficult to scan – I wonder if that is done on purpose):
The URL referred to in the letter is www.official-documents.gov.uk/documents/cm73/7324/7324.pdf and if you read this you will quickly realize that the report authors were far more concerned with not doing anything that could compromise the existing rights of the security services to conduct surveillance than it is to do with the rights of the ordinary citizen (I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised by that). Anyway the bottom line was that Jacqui’s reply did not deal with my primary concern, so I wrote back on 3rd August 2008 as follows:
Dear Jacqui Smith,
Your Reference: MAGG001/081436
Thank you for your letter dated 25th July 2008 and for the link to the
public version of the Chilcot Report which I read with interest.
As a reasonably informed citizen of this country I am well aware (or
should I say I believe) that the law enforcement and security agencies
routinely conduct interception of communications on citizens suspected
of serious crime and/or terrorism and I have no real objection to this
providing that they are required (as now) to obtain a warrant from a
suitably authorised person. I also have no particular objection to any
of the evidence gained through that interception being used in court in
prosecutions against those citizens providing that the safeguards
identified in the report are adopted.
My original email was in response to a suggestion that the Government
was considering requiring all UK based CSP’s to divert a copy of ALL
communications for ALL citizens using those CSP’s to a central database
for mining by interested parties in the fight against serious organised
crime and terrorism. Such a requirement would be the grossest invasion
of privacy and civil liberties any Government has ever inflicted on the
people of this country. Can you please confirm that neither you nor
the Government has any such intention and that there will always be a
requirement for a warrant to be issued before any communication
interception can take place? If you can then I will withdraw my
objection to the IMP otherwise I will have no choice but to remain an
opponent to it and any person supporting it on the grounds of
principle.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew A Maggs
P.S. I am more than happy to receive any reply by email.
Again, Jacqui replied by snail mail on 22nd August 2008 see below:
The bottom line of this as far as I understand it is that the Government does indeed intend to create such a database although they of course have to get the Communications Data Bill she refers to through parliament, so if like me you object to the ‘security at any cost’ principle please use Write To Them to tell your MP about your objections.
Mystical Leanings 