Watchdog aims for ‘limits’ on monitoring of calls and emails

Britain’s data protection watchdog will press for “limitations and safeguards” to protect citizens’ privacy from government proposals to monitor all calls, emails, texts and website visits.

Information commissioner Christopher Graham wants assurances about plans that will mean internet companies are instructed to install hardware tracking telephone and website traffic. The legislation, expected in next month’s Queen’s Speech, will enable GCHQ to access information “on demand” in “real time” without a warrant.

A spokesman for the information commissioner’s office said: “The information commissioner’s role in this Home Office project, both under this government and the last, has been to press for the necessary limitations and safeguards to mitigate the impact on citizens’ privacy.

“We will continue to seek assurances, including the implementation of the results of a thorough privacy impact assessment (PIA). Ultimately, the decision as to whether to proceed with the project is one which has to be taken by parliament.”

Downing St insisted only data (times, dates, numbers and addresses) not content would be accessible, as it sought to quell fears about the proposals amid a fierce backlash from its own backbenchers as well as civil liberties groups.

A previous attempt to introduce a similar law was abandoned by the Labour government in 2006 in the face of fierce opposition from the Tories and the Liberal Democrats.

David Davis, Conservative former shadow home secretary, said: “This needs to be done because it can be done — that’s been the attitude of many ‘securocrats’ over the ages.

“What is proposed is unfettered access to every single communication you make. This argument it doesn’t cover content — it doesn’t cover content for telephone calls, but your web address is content. If you access a web (site), that is content.”

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg defended the plans. “All we are doing is updating the rules which currently apply to mobile telephone calls to allow the police and security services to go after terrorists and serious criminals and updating that to apply to technology like Skype which is increasingly being used by people who want to make those calls and send those emails.”

Security minister James Brokenshire said the emphasis was on solving crime rather than “real-time snooping on everybody’s emails”.