Livin' the life...

Britain's information watchdog criticised today plans for a massive Government database holding details of every phone call and e-mail and the time spent on the internet by the public as a step too far.

Richard Thomas gave warning that plans being discussed by the Home Office as part of a forthcoming legislation on data communications would raise serious data protection concerns for the entire population.

Mr Thomas, the Information Commissioner, said:"There needs to be the fullest public debate about the justification for, and implications of, a specially created database, potentially accessible to a wide range of law enforcement authorities, holding details of everyone's telephone and internet communications. Do we really want the police, security services and other organs of the state to have access to more and more aspects of our private lives?"

Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecoms companies would have to hand over their communication records to the Home Office under the plans being drawn up as part of the fight against crime and terrorism.

The information would be held for at least 12 months and the police and security services would be able to access it if given permission by the courts. (Full story..)

This is beginning to sound like a bad movie.. But I suppose, anything in the name of security and terrorism.. ..