News | Election 2001 | Argument | Advancement | Enjoyment | Investment | Travel
Independent > News > UK > This Britain
Text messaging, the preferred mode of communication for secretive teenagers, unfaithful spouses and bored workmates, is under threat from the forces of law and order.
While the arcane language of the texterati may ultimately prove impenetrable to police scrutiny, new laws drafted by Brussels will put all mobile phone transmissions within the reach of official snoopers.
Britain and five other EU countries are backing the proposals. But civil liberty groups said last night that the proposed powers had more in common with "big brother" dictatorships than liberal democracies. The move has also set the UK on a collision course with Germany and Finland, who are determined to block it.
The draft report by an EU working party recommends that internet service companies, telecommunication firms and mobile phone operators should keep the records of every call made, e-mail sent or website visited for seven years.
Law enforcement agencies such as police forces, customs agents and intelligence services would get free access to trawl through the data when investigating any crime.
Current EU legislation forces law enforcers to get permission every time they want to tap electronic communications or search for evidence during investigations. The existing laws also restrict the amount of time that communications firms can keep data before it has to be destroyed.
Although the "resolution" would have no legal force, it would help provide guidelines on what EU member states should request from their telecoms providers.