175 million pounds per year to collect UK metadata

by
Anonymous Coward
in internet on (#XD2S)
story imageThe UK government estimates it will cost 175m ($266m USD) a year to collect and store metadata, while ISP's are warning that the costs could be far higher, with 15TB passing over an average connection per year. Under the bill, providers would be required to store metadata for at least 12 months.

While many people now use a VPN which can help avoid metadata collection, everyone will have to pay an internet tax in the future to meet the costs of their government tracking their internet usage, even though collecting this data for VPN users is mostly pointless. "The indiscriminate collection of mass data is going to have a massive cost", says Matthew Hare of ISP Gigaclear.
Reply 3 comments

It's funny, you know... (Score: 2, Insightful)

by Anonymous Coward on 2015-12-12 01:25 (#XEHE)

As a kid, I was always taught that if the Left Wing parties got control of a nation, they would raise taxes and implement unprecedented surveillance on their citizens. Papers please, do as we tell you, don't do or say anything that goes against what we say is best for you.

30 years later, it turns out that it's not the Left Wing, and I'm fairly sure it's not the Right Wing either.

It's people.

These guys, the ones ruling us and not leading us, have been waiting in the wings for years. They've been working in big business, learning about marketing and manipulation of public opinion, how to influence what is said about them, how to market themselves. Now that they have their opportunity, they're going to use it to turn themselves into kings, and what will we do about it?

We will cheer them on, because they've worked hard so they deserve it.

Do we have a figure for Australia yet (Score: 1)

by Anonymous Coward on 2015-12-12 12:04 (#XFJE)

How much will it cost for the recently enabled spying in Australia? Sure someone has an answer by now

Re: Do we have a figure for Australia yet (Score: 2, Informative)

by pete@pipedot.org on 2015-12-12 17:26 (#XG7G)

Quick roundup:
  • A$131m was budgeted recently, $124m of which is earmarked for ISPs.
  • A survey of ISPs found that 60% said it would cost less them than A$250,000 to implement,12% said $1mil, and the largest telcos estimating around $10m.
  • An assessment done earlier this year estimated compliance costs around A$190-320m
http://www.computerweekly.com/news/4500257908/Mixed-signals-fuel-mixed-feelings-about-Australias-data-retention-plan