While it is difficult to outpace the US in its erosion of civil liberties, one contender for the crown currently held by America must be the UK. Now, its government is proposing that all social networking interaction be recorded and stored indefinitely by the government.
Vernon Coaker the U.K. Home Office security minister, on Monday said the EU Data Retention Directive, under which Internet service providers must store communications data for 12 months, does not go far enough. Communications such as those on social-networking sites and via instant-messaging services could also be monitored, he said.
“Social-networking sites such as MySpace or Bebo are not covered by the directive,” said Coaker, speaking at a meeting of the House of Commons Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee. “That is one reason why the government (is) looking at what we should do about the Intercept(ion) Modernisation Programme, because there are certain aspects of communications which are not covered by the directive.”
And, using language only George Orwell would appreciate while fully understanding, note what the British government.calls the program: Interception Modernisation Programme. Why not come out and call it what it is: your governmental will store (and access and use against our citizens) all data techncally possible.
The Pet Shop Boys, in a recent concert, suggested that the entire world was turning into China. That is, a free market overseen by a police state. If a pop music team understands this, why does the public look away. We are closing in on this result. Seriously.