MailOnline – Privacy campaigners voice opposition to Home Office tests on tracking browsing history

Civil Liberties campaigners have voiced opposition to a project that could log the internet browsing history of every UK citizen.

WIRED magazine revealed that the Home Office has been working with two unnamed internet providers to trial the data collection system under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.

The trial, which has reportedly been active for months has raised alarm bells for privacy campaigners.

Silkie Carlo, Director of Big Brother Watch said:

‘We fought tooth and nail against these plans to put the nation’s internet records at the fingertips of authorities, from police officers to DWP and even NHS trusts.

‘We have absolutely no problem with robust targeted powers being used against identified suspects, but there is no justification for intruding in the private lives of the entire population.

‘The purposes for which ICRs can be accessed are excessively broad and could easily result in political surveillance.

‘The purposes include ‘preventing disorder’, minor communications offences, protecting public health, public safety and collecting tax.

‘Whilst drumming it into the public if we have nothing to hide we should have nothing to fear, the state has grown totalitarian-style surveillance powers and built the most intrusive monitoring system of any democracy in history.’

MailOnline – Privacy campaigners slam secret ‘Snooper’s Charter’ surveillance trial as Home Office teams up with two internet firms to test how to track the browsing history of every person in the country

The post MailOnline – Privacy campaigners voice opposition to Home Office tests on tracking browsing history appeared first on Big Brother Watch.