Yes, I'm with you on this Os, I've been following this story since the Labour Party proposed it in (I think) 2008,they gave up due to the backlash and the costs involved. I hope this attempt goes the same way...it's an outragious attack on civil liberties. If you Google RAF Menwith Hill you'll find that "data collection" been going on for years. Although it's called RAF Menwith it only has about 150 RAF bods but they are just a front,it's actualy staffed by a thousand plus US Secret Service staff,it dates back to the Cold War. In recent years they've had 3 fibre optic lines put in by BT,giving them the ability to listen to 100,000 telephone calls/internet at any one time (all computerized). It's been alleged that MI5/6 have been short circuiting the need to get UK government authorisation for tapping any telephones by making a quick phone call to Menwith (it's classed as a US territory and not subject to UK laws though interestingly what goes on there wouldn't be allowed in the US either). It seems to me that the Government is proposing to do exactly what the Murdoch empire have been taken to task for!
Tony Wood ● 5116d