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04/06/2009: "EU directive compels all internet service providers to retain information from all emails and website visits"

Today, an EU directive comes into force which will compel all internet service providers to retain information from all emails and website visits. Data from phone calls and text messages will also be stored and made available to the government, its agencies and local authorities. Having seen how local officials have abused anti-terrorist laws, it's not hard to imagine the damage to privacy that will ensure.

These powers were brought in by a statutory instrument and so were not debated by either house. The accepted view is that the Home Office now bypasses parliament by lobbying Europe directly in the knowledge that the measures they desire will go undebated and unscrutinised, then be smuggled into British law as a European directive.

It is difficult to think of anything that makes the House of Commons look more feckless or more redundant.

[ In future there may be sufficient Nationalist Euro MPs elected to change the EU. This is the only democratic way we can revoke these EU directives. ]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/apr/06/internet-houseofcommons