Eyes watching your privacy. Shutterstock/ Ziben. All rights reserved.Following the Snowden revelations, the Home Office had an important test to pass. The test had only one question: “Introduce a world class piece of legislation which balances the need for surveillance powers with our essential civil liberties. Discuss”… in 300 pages or less. The Home Office has not learnt their lesson.
The report card for the draft Investigatory Powers Bill, the new proposals to regulate the surveillance powers of the police, intelligence agencies and a wide range of other public bodies into the next decade, is now in. Three committees, three reports, one conclusion later: the Bill isn't ready. It continues to threaten our right to privacy with overly broad powers for intelligence agencies and police, and scant regard for democratic rights.
It’s time to get out the red pen and give some grades to the draft Investigatory Powers Bill. The 123 recommendations spread across the three reports give the Home Office plenty of homework for some of the much needed revision required.
