Ever hear of the Investigatory Powers Bill? Probably not. So, this bill passed in Great Britain. It went through the House of Commons and House of Lords (their version of Congress and Senate). So Great Britain, kiss your online freedom goodbye.
That’s because the Investigatory Powers Bill tightens Great Britain’s surveillance laws. It’s their biggest surveillance law passed this decade. British Home Secretary Theresa May introduced the bill in November 2015. But supporters claim good reason for this bill. They say this gives lawmakers more oversight. They also say this gives Britain better national security. But Britain already has strict surveillance laws. Privacy and civil rights groups already voice concern.
This law gives Britain four more powers. First of all, they can hack into any computer system they see fit. This includes corporate servers any your own personal smartphone. Also, it allows bulk hacking. They allow hacks on many systems at once. This is especially true if they suspect terrorism. This is even true for foreign systems used in Britain. Furthermore, Theresa May will appoint commissioners to oversee this measure. Finally, law enforcement can get data when they conduct investigations. They can do this without anybody’s knowledge or approval.
In conclusion, there are so many problems with this bill. But this shouldn’t surprise anyone. This country has cameras watching and lecturing people about littering. They’ve done this for years. On the surface, this looks safe. But scratch beyond that. This bill opens the portals of Big Brother. The government knows what every British person does online. That’s the real fear. I used to be trusting. I thought governments snooped only during emergencies.? But now I know better. They’ll do it to anybody, and for any reason. I’m glad civil rights advocates are speaking out. I wish there were more. What do you think? Will this bill enforce national security? Or is something far more sinister going on?