UK Local Councils Spy On Emails and Calls

MrSteveSD writes "The Daily Mail is reporting that local councils have been using the controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to spy on people's phone and email records. Reasons given for the surveillance include checking for evidence of people storing petrol without permission and investigating unburied animal carcasses. The surveillance was uncovered using Freedom of Information laws. The scope of the RIPA act is staggering. It would be simpler to list who isn't allowed to access your phone and email records. Aside from political action, what can be done technologically to combat this threat? Use Skype rather than the normal telephone?"

Re:Understandable

[dintech]

Of course they want sound. It makes being a peeping tom council worker [bbc.co.uk] so much more entertaining:

Re:Function Creep

[chrb]

On the bright side, 28->42 days is only an extra 2 weeks... the Patriot Act allows the US government to lock people up FOREVER without charge.

Re:Function Creep

[backwardMechanic]

That's why it is so important to argue the case for and against every law, before it becomes law. It's easy to write an introduction saying 'this is to stop terrorists', but much harder to frame the law so that it only applies to terrorism cases.

I'd say move! I left Blighty for Switzerland a few months ago, and have a whole new perspective now that I'm the foreigner. Generally great, but jeez, sometimes the Swiss make you feel like an [www.cbc.ca] outsider [flickr.com]!

Re:What's the alternative?

[drsquare]

Forbid councils, and other government bodies in general, from accessing phone records and email?

Yes. I can't think of a single reason why a local council needs access to communication records. They're not law enforcement, they're supposed to fix pot-holes, cut the grass and fine you for parking your car. Why the fuck do they need to be reading our e-mails?

Local councillors are people who are so worthless and incompetent, they can't even be an MP. Why should we trust them with any information at all?

big brother

[LingNoi]

This is a country where the most popular entertainment is watching a TV program where people in a house are recorded 24 hours a day.

I doubt people here care that much.

Re:big brother

[sayfawa]

The conspiracy theorist in me sometimes believes that the sole purpose of that show was to inundate people with the term 'Big Brother' just so that when the UK really did become a big brother state there would be no shock value in calling it so.

Radical leftist on podium: Big Brother is watching you, man!
Passive sheople: Hey, I like that show. I'll go watch it now.