Health bodies could access communication logs

13 Aug 2008

Public bodies, including health authorities, could be able to access information about all personal calls and internet use under proposals from the Home Office.

The department has published a consultation paper that considers making logs of all telephone calls and internet usage, including e-mails and Voice over Internet Protocol calls, mandatory for at least 12 months.

Access to call and internet data would be available to all public bodies licensed under the 2000 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), including health authorities.

These would only be able to be accessed for investigations into crime or other threats to public safety. In health this could include checking for previous complaints relating to cruelty, abuse or self-harm.

The Home Office said the measure would mean companies storing "a billion incidents of data exchange a day.” Details of traffic, but not the content, will have to be made available by telecommunications companies to public sector officials to investigate crime or to "protect the public.”

Because the consultation responds to an European directive, the data could also be made available to public investigators across Europe.

The consultation says systems like this have successfully been introduced in the USA though organisations such as the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, which is dedicated to eradicating the sexual abuse of children.

The vast majority of CEOP’s work is by resolution of IP addresses, e-mail addresses and - increasingly - mobile phone numbers.

A Home Office spokesman told E-Health-Insider: "This data would allow investigators to identify suspects, examine their contacts, establish relationships between conspirators and place them in a specific location at a certain time.

"It also gives investigators the potential to identify other forensic opportunities, identify witnesses and premises of evidential interest. Many alibis are proven or refuted through the use of communications data. Without the EC directive, investigative opportunities will be increasingly lost."

However, opposition MPs said the powers would result in Britain becoming a “snooping state.” Liberal Democrat' home affairs spokesman, Chris Huhne, said: "We will be told it is for use in combating terrorism and organised crime, but if RIPA powers are anything to go by, it will soon be used to spy on ordinary people's kids, pets and bins."

The consultation is open for responses until 31 October.

Link

Home Office consultation

Joe Fernandez

Reader's Comments

spooks nhs

14 Aug 08 22:48

what next an mi5 division of the nhs.first we had spooks then spooks code 9 now we have spooks nhs

All your data are belong to us

15 Aug 08 11:26

The most alarming thing about this 'transposition of directive 2006/24/EC' is that so many agencies (including Local Gov and the Post Office!!!) will have access to the data at any time WITHOUT REQUIRING A JUDGE TO ISSUE A WARRANT WITH DUE CAUSE.

Sorry for the CAPS, but we've already seen how petty bureaucrats have been misusing the powers of the anti-terrorist laws: "Earlier this month it emerged that Poole Borough Council in Dorset used RIPA to spy on a family for three weeks to find out if they were really living in a school catchment area" - BBC NEWS 27 Apr 2008.

Now imagine what these 'bureaucrats' would do having access to all your internet traffic details 24/7, from the ease of their desktop, presumably from a web app hosted on a 'secure' server...

And saying 'ah, but we're only sharing the meta-data, not the content of the communication' is disingenuous, an electronic confirmation of appointment with a sexual-health unit is already more content than I'd be happy sharing with the police, local government and the post office, thank you very much.

Stating the Obvious and Assumptions

georgebrown@bulldoghome.com

15 Aug 08 13:43

While everyone seems to be clambering to read my emails, internet access and listen to my private phone calls - has anyone had any thought as to what checks will be made on those individuals with access to this information?

I'll lay money on it that no checks whatsoever will be made.

NuLabour have made this country an information free-for-all, with no consideration whatsoever for the individuals right to privacy.

Whoops!

18 Aug 08 13:24

Perhaps DH mandarins will be able to trace anonymous EHI posters of unenthusiastic comments on NPfIT? On the grounds that they are attempting to subvert something vital to the public good.

;-)