Theresa May unveils UK surveillance measures in wake of Snowden claims
by Alan Travis Patrick Wintour and Ewen MacAskill from Technology | The Guardian on (#SJ32)
- Spy agencies free to track everyone's internet use without warrant
- UK governments have signed secret orders on data collection for years
- Snowden says bill is most intrusive surveillance regime in the west
New surveillance powers will be given to the police and security services, allowing them to access records tracking every UK citizen's use of the internet without any judicial check, under the provisions of the draft investigatory powers bill unveiled by Theresa May.
It includes new powers requiring internet and phone companies to keep "internet connection records" - tracking every website visited but not every page - for a maximum of 12 months but will not require a warrant for the police, security services or other bodies to access the data. Local authorities will be banned from accessing internet records.