Telecom Trends

The Home Office in the UK is charged with the responsibility to protect the public from terror, crime and anti-social behaviour.

According to the government's website, "We help build the security, justice and respect that enable people to prosper in a free and tolerant society."

The Home Office is currently in the final phase of a consultation on requiring service providers to retain data generated through electronic communications or public communications networks.

The aim of the directive is to ensure that certain data is retained so that public authorities can investigate, detect and prosecute crime.

My colleagues at Privacy Laws and Business have sent an advisory noting that the government is proposing that it will be compulsory for Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecoms companies to retain all communications data for a minimum of 12 months.

Data retention powers will be much wider than expected. The Home Office has confirmed that local councils, emergency services, the Home Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Health and Safety Executive, the Food Standards Agency and the Post Office will have access to call, text, e-mail and internet records for 12 months.

The full consultation document can be downloaded here [ pdf]. How would Canadians and Canadian ISPs respond to such a proposal? What are the implications for Canadians travelling in the UK or Canadian ISPs with UK-based clients?

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