BBC is reporting the development of a new technology in London designed to compile private communication contact between citizens “including e-mails, telephone and internet use including visits to social network sites, but not their content”.

The aim for Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), according to the report, is not to create a centralized location for all information as had previously been presented but to trace “acts when it is necessary” and “not spy at will”. The main focus in this article presents the bold step taken by GCHQ to deny it will track ALL usage of communications.

“Similarly, GCHQ has no ambitions, expectations or plans for a database or databases to store centrally all communications data in Britain,” said Jacqui Smith of GCHQ in the BBC article. “The new technology that GCHQ is developing is designed to work under the existing legal framework.”

The careful use of words allows for GCHQ to create such a technology and provide a statement which clearly contradicts privacy while limiting how they comment on other factors of this innovation. No legislation has been presented to the British House of Commons to evaluate its integrity and usefulness.

GCHQ is exerting power in a very nice way. Nevertheless, it may be valid that the government is creating this technology in order to prevent those with negative ambitions to be deterred.

The question becomes not whether this technology fits within existing legal framework but rather whether the existing legal framework functions well in protecting society from governmental power.

No related posts.