Dark Knight portends dark days for civil liberties

Stuart Corner
Friday, 18 July 2008 13:23

Opinion and Analysis

He warned that "Any government-run database holding the telephone and Internet communications of the entire population would raise serious data protection concerns," and, he says, would be "a step too far for the British way of life." He continues: "Speculation that the Home Office is considering collecting this information from phone companies and Internet service providers has been reinforced by the government's Draft Legislative Programme which, referring to a proposed Communications Data Bill, talks about 'modifying procedures for acquiring communications data'."

Thomas says: "I am absolutely clear that the targeted and duly authorised, interception of the communications of suspects can be invaluable in the fight against terrorism and other serious crime. But there needs to be the fullest public debate about the justification for, and implications of, a specially-created database – potentially accessible to a wide range of law enforcement authorities – holding details of everyone's telephone and internet communications." He asks: "Do we really want the police, security services and other organs of the state to have access to more and more aspects of our private lives?"

I've no doubt that, unlike the fictitious surveillance technology created in the Dark Knight such a system is absolutely technically feasible. And while it might fall well short of the level of surveillance made possible by the Dark Knight's cellphone sonar, the gap between the two is closing and will continue to close as more and more of our communications takes place electronically and as online services pervade more and more of our lives.

For example when we have Internet connected fridges with bar code scanners that automatically re-order our groceries; when we have web cameras that we can connect o over the Internet to monitor our homes.

For heavens sake the UK already has a network of number plate recognition cameras which according to one report, is to be linked to a database that will record details of where every vehicle is at any time!  Even if such a system is acceptable under representative and democratic government, there would be no way of disabling should the government of the day become, shall we say, less benign.