Liberty urges government to reject Snoopers’ Charter
Human rights organisation Liberty is urging the LGBT community to join its campaign to reject the coalition government’s plans for a Draft Communications Data Bill commonly known as the ‘Snoopers’ Charter’.
Liberty has warned that the bill poses a threat to personal freedoms and would be like having CCTV cameras installed in every part of your home.
The organisation says that records of everyone’s e-mails, texts and phone calls – and even website usage – could end up falling into the hands of private companies.
Communication data can build up an incredibly intimate picture of a person’s life; who you have texted, emailed, skyped or phoned on any given day; which websites you have visited in the privacy of your own home, details of social media activity… and more.
Compile all of this information and you have a map of people’s lives – of daily routines, relationships, journeys, health concerns and political views.
The government has defended the policy, saying nothing will really change, as some data is already stored. But Liberty says that the proposals go much deeper. For the first time, companies will be instructed to collect information on billions of communications – for no other reason than the authorities’ future demands for access.
If the Draft Bill gets the green light, Liberty is adamant that errors and even abuse will follow – privacy scandals of recent years illustrate the potential for such concerns.
Liberty is appealing for people to help stop the Snoopers’ Charter by visiting www.nosnooperscharter.org.uk
