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07/10/2008
£12 billion national database debate |
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The emails, texts and calls of people living in Britain could be stored on a national database which would cost an estimated £12 billion to build.
There has already been £1 billion in funding given to the programme, which is to be run by the Government's Communication Headquarters (GCHQ).
The system would be similar to one currently operated by MI5. The difference, however, is that it has to apply to the Home Secretary in order to intercept personal email and web traffic.
Under the new regulations, internet and phone networks could be monitored live by GCHQ.
Critics of the system have expressed concern over how the data would be managed.
Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve was quoted in the Telegraph as saying: "It would mark a substantial shift in the powers of the state to obtain information on individuals."
Mr Grieve called for a "national debate" on the issue and he said the government would have to justify the need for such a system given recent data breaches.
Last year some 57 billion text messages were sent in the UK and three billion emails are sent every day. |
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