Fergie's Tech Blog

UK: Home Office wants to limit use of the Internet

SA Mathieson writes in The Guardian UK:

Eight years ago, when Paul Goggins was first elected to parliament, the dotcom boom was in full swing, and the internet was widely seen as a source of opportunity. These days, Goggins looks at the web differently. Now the Home Office minister responsible for internet crime, he is among those in charge of the government's plans to further limit use of the net.

Over tea in Brighton's Grand Hotel, he explains that the threat of terrorism is a crucial justification for the proposals. It is an apt venue: in a bomb attack on this hotel 21 years ago, the IRA killed five people.

The source of the threat has changed, but after July's bomb attacks in London, the terrorist threat seems stronger than ever. Following the London bombings, the UK proposed that European telecoms and internet service providers should be forced to keep logs of customer activity for up to three years - much longer than is currently the case. "Charles [Clarke] wants to get a more uniform, coherent approach across Europe," says Goggins. "Terrorist activity doesn't just happen overnight, or in a space of weeks. It's often planned over a long, long period of time, and that's why we are laying emphasis on the need to extend the period."

posted by Fergie @ 10/21/2005 10:44:00 AM