Town halls join rush to use the snoopers’ charter 2


Robert Watts writes in the Daily Telegraph:

Council staff, health and safety inspectors and even Royal Mail want to harness the Government’s proposed “Snoopers’ Charter” to monitor private emails, telephone records and internet use.

It had been thought that only police, intelligence agencies and the taxman would be able to use the Communication Data Act, which will also allow scrutiny of social network sites including Twitter and Facebook.

But dozens of public sector organisations have applied to use the powers. They include nine Whitehall departments, NHS trusts, the Environment Agency, the Charity Commission and the Pensions Regulator. Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has argued that the legislation is vital to combat terrorism and other serious offences.

But the Home Office confirmed that it was considering all the submissions made by public bodies.

A Big Brother watch blog posting gives the complete list divulged by the Home Office in response to an FOI request.


2 thoughts on “Town halls join rush to use the snoopers’ charter

  • Tom Welsh

    So essentially all our communications, sent through any medium, will be public knowledge.

    The only private information that is safely guarded from prying eyes will be the proceedings of our elected representatives and civil servants – which of course we mere citizens will never be allowed to see.

  • Tom Welsh

    So essentially all our communications, sent through any medium, will be public knowledge.

    The only private information that is safely guarded from prying eyes will be the proceedings of our elected representatives and civil servants – which of course we mere citizens will never be allowed to see.

Comments are closed.