New Snooping Laws Could Come Into Effect

A law forcing firms to hand details to police identifying who was using a computer or mobile phone at a given time is to be outlined by Theresa May.

The home secretary said the measure would improve national security.

Under the Anti-Terrorism and Security Bill, providers would have to hold on to data linking devices to users.

But campaigners warned it could see the revival of the so-called "snoopers' charter" - a previous attempt to bring in wide-ranging web monitoring powers.

The new measure, which is expected to be introduced to the Commons this week, would help police to identify suspects via a computer or mobile device's individual Internet Protocol (IP) address.

Each device has such an address, but they can change - such as when a modem is switched off and then on again - and are usually shared between different users.

Internet service providers currently have no business reason for keeping data on who has used each address, the Home Office said, meaning it is not always possible for police and security services to match individuals to internet use.

The Home Office say the new measures would help police and security services identify:
◾Organised criminals
◾Cyber-bullies and hackers
◾Terror suspects and child sex offenders communicating over the internet
◾Vulnerable people such as children using social media to discuss taking their own life

But the Conservative MP and former leadership contender David Davis said the new measure was a "stepping stone back" to those proposals.

"Do you absolutely trust the people doing this never to make a mistake... never to misuse it?" he said.

Emma Carr, from privacy campaigners Big Brother Watch, said: "Before setting her sights on reviving the snooper's charter, the home secretary should address the fact that one of the biggest challenges facing the police is making use of the huge volume of data that is already available, including data from social media and internet companies."

I think these powers should only be used for combating terrorism and that's that.

Again? Christ shes desperate. Great timing, just when we're beginning to learn of how the police, security services and MPs abuse these powers, use knowledge of dodgy behavior for the purposes of blackmail and manage to lose any evidence gathered when it doesn't suit them. What a vile bunch of *****, can we really trust them with these powers?

Again? Christ shes desperate. Great timing, just when we're beginning to learn of how the police, security services and MPs abuse these powers, use knowledge of dodgy behavior for the purposes of blackmail and manage to lose any evidence gathered when it doesn't suit them. What a vile bunch of *****, can we really trust them with these powers?

If you want privacy so badly, take the steps to ensure your privacy. There are plenty of steps one can take to protect yourself from the powers that be.

I think if used correctly that these powers could be a very useful tool for the police to use. However it will be abused as all power is.

Sometimes I think we need to sacrifice some privacy in order to gain security but this a little too far for my liking.