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| The actual content of emails, calls and text messages could only be accessed with a warrant |
The
government will be able to monitor the calls, emails, texts and website visits
of everyone in the UK under new legislation set to be announced soon.
Internet
firms will be required to give intelligence agency GCHQ access to
communications on demand, in real time.
The Home
Office says the move is key to tackling crime and terrorism, but civil
liberties groups have criticised it.
Attempts by
the last Labour government to take similar steps failed after huge opposition,
including from the Tories.
A new law -
which may be announced in the forthcoming Queen's Speech in May - would not
allow GCHQ to access the content of emails, calls or messages without a
warrant.
But it
would enable intelligence officers to identify who an individual or group is in
contact with, how often and for how long.
'Unprecedented
step'
In a
statement, the Home Office said action was needed to "maintain the
continued availability of communications data as technology changes".
"It is
vital that police and security services are able to obtain communications data
in certain circumstances to investigate serious crime and terrorism and to
protect the public," a spokesman said.
"As
set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review we will legislate as soon
as parliamentary time allows to ensure that the use of communications data is
compatible with the government's approach to civil liberties."
But Nick Pickles,
director of the Big Brother Watch campaign group, called the move "an
unprecedented step that will see Britain adopt the same kind of surveillance
seen in China and Iran".
"This
is an absolute attack on privacy online and it is far from clear this will
actually improve public safety, while adding significant costs to internet
businesses," he said.
"If
this was such a serious security issue why has the Home Office not ensured
these powers were in place before the Olympics?"
'Surveillance
culture'
The
previous Labour government attempted to introduce a central, government-run
database of everyone's phone calls and emails, but eventually dropped the bid
in the face of widespread anger.
The then
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith did pursue efforts similar to those being revisited
now, but the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats continued to voice their
concerns.
The shadow
home secretary at the time, Chris Grayling, said the government had "built
a culture of surveillance which goes far beyond counter terrorism and serious
crime".
Lib Dem
home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said any legislation requiring
communications providers to keep records of contact would need "strong
safeguards on access", and "a careful balance" would have to be
struck "between investigative powers and the right to privacy".
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