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Spy Legislation To Protect National Security

Adrian Mudd   October 15, 2014

An emergency legislation is due to be released on Monday the 21st of July, allowing security organisations to enforce a rule over internet and phone services to keep a record of customers’ communications via email and phone call. This legislation will be kept in place until 2016 with the new government as voted in after the general elections. There is a considerable amount of controversy around the law, as some feel it to be an invasion of privacy. What will this mean for citizens? Will some be compelled to invest in extra counter surveillance equipment to prevent rogue companies accessing their information?

Spying UK

What’s Changing in Spy Legislation?

The content of the emails and phone calls will not be accessible by the providers or security agencies, but the date, time, location and phone number will be available for review at any point in the period under which the legislation is valid. It is claimed that all data will be deleted at the end of the legislation timespan unless there is a specified need to do so. However, for many, this is another addition to the invasive measures becoming more and more evident since the Edward Snowden revelations have opened the lid on the UK security system.

Despite the sudden and somewhat unprecedented nature of this legislative move, the Liberal Democrats claim that the development indicates no expansion of the surveillance powers currently available to government or security bodies. David Cameron asserted that the act is being pushed in the name of national security, as “the first duty of government”, prompted by events in Iraq and Syria. It is also said the move was in part instigated due to a ruling in April by the European court stating that current laws are a breach of individual citizens’ privacy. As an implication, this change and an accompanying review of the Regulations of Investigatory Powers Act have been proposed in response until a new government enters parliament.

According to Nick Clegg, this is not a lead into the often-dubbed ‘Snooper’s Charter‘, but politicians such as Labour MP Tom Watson state that the act was “railroaded” through government, ignoring the European court ruling and avoiding consultations with either other MPs or the public. However, the general consensus from the current coalition government is that this will provide a clearer legal framework surrounding security procedures with more transparency for the public to know what the government is monitoring.

Regardless of these claims, a number of organisations involved in data protection are raising concerns about the increasing level of citizen surveillance. As a result, many individuals are becoming more interested in anti-surveillance devices and strategies in the concern that non-government bodies may be able to access their data and use such rulings to their advantage in some capacity.

Protecting Yourself in the Current Climate

If you’re worried about the current security climate, PC monitoring can allow you to track the safety of your business, or even yourself, online. Another way of ensuring your personal or corporate security against potential misuse of such regulatory procedures is with equipment such as spy cameras. A CCTV camera can record action outside your property, or a covert camera hidden inside, to detect suspicious behaviour that may alert you to an individual or body trying to intercept your privacy in some manner. You can also protect yourself with the use of our phone monitoring devices and our advanced phone forensic recovery devices.

If you want to find out more about protecting your privacy, contact our spy guys today for expert advice. You can read up on spy laws in the UK by following the link.

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