Snooping on new media

Spies, lies and the internet

Plans to extend surveillance and secrecy are causing alarm within the coalition and outside it

See article

Readers' comments



barrkel in reply to BaileyFoxFarm

Terrorism is a threat to almost no-one. Far more people are killed in over-reaction to terrorism than by terrorism. It's a non-issue; it should be ignored, frankly, because only by giving it attention does it gain any power.


Like so many things from government, it is not only the immediate intended use that we should be wary of, but the extensions that lesser officials find legitimate. The RIPA act is used routinely by Town Hall officials and the number of intrusions already available to this level (Town Hall and Whitehall) is the more cause for concern. This concern is never acknowledged by whichever Government seeks to introduce new surveillance powers

guest-iloawee in reply to asbr01

asbr01 wrote: "I think the article is mistaken in saying that the Labour government tried to introduce compulsory ID card". No, the article is correct. Stated policy was to oblige everyone getting or renewing a passport to get an ID card at the same time. Those holding ID cards would not be allowed to hand them back, and would be obliged to renew them every ten years (even if they let their passport lapse). Since 80% of the population hold passports, 80%+ of the population would have had an ID card after 10 years - after which stated policy was to force ID cards on the remaining 20%. See briefings at for details. As ever, the Home Office plays a long game.

flymulla in reply to BaileyFoxFarm

Have you noticed on thing in the budget? It is the same every year. With the mercury rising and the fizz getting louder, beverage makers are launching new products and campaigns with catchy taglines to grab a share of the $10 billion Indian market, amid growing consumer base and fierce competition. PepsiCo, which has started the New Year with some product-centric innovations and big brand campaigns, has launched two new flavours of its soft drink Mirinda - Orange Masala and Orange Mango. "Through this unique local palette-led innovation, we expect to drive consumption frequency and penetration," Deepika Warrier, executive director, marketing, PepsiCo Beverages, India, told IANS. "We have launched innovative and consumer-focussed initiatives to drive consumption. We are also investing heavily in expanding distribution and have created a state of the art, segmented G2M strategy based on three filters - portfolio class, town class and outlet class," Warrier added. This comes from India but is valid for all the countries. The treasury seeks the first think that dome to the head is cigarettes, drinks, the same old brief case but new tax system that all seem to agree subject to, always subject to. The CFOs give us their feedback after they have received the crate of this. This seems reasonable. To add to these corporations are making billions out of the formula they have locked in the safe. I thank you Firozali A.Mulla DBA


The idea works in the same manner. I go to the office as the chairman of the corporation and my car has a puncture. Do I have the idea how to change the tire or will I do this in public when all are watching, “Look the director of the ABC corporation had no chauffeur “ or simply my petrol does not flow into the injector, Do I KNOW WHAT transmits the petrol to burn into the spark plugs give a thrust and the car moves because of the thrust, the push by the fire of the sparks. NO? Yes? I have the sound, bullet proof quad stereo and I have no idea of the mechanism, If anything goes wrong the driver goes home packed up. The politicians venture into the fields they have no clue. In India they go out to the field and know what type of fertilizers are used, Dr. Mohamed Yunus formed the Garmin Bank with $2 and knew what the ladies wanted, the small loan to start the farm, He had the idea the guts the hard hit all the time going to the bank asking for loans from many banks to convince them why he wanted the loans and then now he has the Noble Price. This is in Bangladesh. Do the West leaders or they go out in the field into the snake dens and find out what the fangs have and what the poison kills with the two teeth or just read ad admit they have the vague idea. Vague is not reality. YI HAVE TO KNOW THE STUFF, HERE IT then talk, I am sorry I am being harsh but the leaders want to but in wars and do not know that the guns they have are of 1940s. This will never work, the military have and to have the courage to look deeper give ten years to know if this is workable or not then make a statement. I thank you Firozali A.Mulla DBA


We know our limitations but we want to but our heads with the unknown,. that is our problem no more no less. With CCTV we have we want to to spend more on and still at the bottom of the list od the failed as Forbes many times publish. I thank you Firozali A.Mulla DBA

Jessie Singh

Secret state in the UK?? This is stupid. It will censor people's freedom to express themselves on the internet. It takes away all rights. The real agenda behind this is not the terrorist threat but one coming internally from a disillusioned populace who can be mobilised and used more effectively through social media. States the world over have taken heed of the potential threat social media poses them, look at the what happened here last summer with the riots. BBM, facebook and twitter each played a part. In the Egyptian revolution and a lot of countries where the Arab spring took or is taking place social media is playing an important part. Take away one civil liberty and you open the door to loose them all.

Loui Cifer

I really do not understand why in Britain ID cards are such a issue ? The whole of Europe has them !You are part of that union right? So what is the problem, you are not so different form everybody else get us to it! But lets not forget you Brits like a bit of a moan...and a cue.

BaileyFoxFarm in reply to binarydigit

I think the pace at which the modern terrorist (and a number of governments) learn to disseminate their message to young minds, covertly hack into all areas of our work and lives, and use the internet against us to hide their tracks - is being dangerously underestimated by an indolent population. We scream 'invasion of privacy' against almost any kind of counterterrorism surveillance, and then scream 'what the hell was the government doing' when the bombs go off. Obviously we expect todays university educated, IT / Media savvy terrorists to remain as ignorant as we thought they once were.
The radicals fully understand how to use all our laws in their favour whilst we tie ourselves in ever decreasing circles trying to protect our 'system' and not be accused of hypocrasy. They dont care about our moral dilemmas, they are out to win , anyway thats possible.
We must use our judges to control how the information gathered is used, but you cant know what the surveillance will find until you find it. No one is going to tell you where to look and provide the evidence to allow a judge to allow it. They will do exactly the opposite - ie until the bomb goes off you will not know anything is going on.


I think the article is mistaken in saying that the Labour government tried to introduce compulsory ID cards: the proposal was for voluntary ID cards. There were elements that would have been compulsory - I seem to remember employees in the airside part of Heathrow airport successfully opposing the replacement of their security passes with ID cards - but for the general population it was to be voluntary.


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