Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) bill set to become law on Oct. 5

Trojan

LONDON – A surveillance bill granting the U.K. government sweeping powers to access e-mail and other encrypted Internet communications passed its final vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday and is set to become law on Oct. 5.

Among other provisions, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) bill requires Internet service providers in the U.K. to track all data traffic passing through their computers and route it to the Government Technical Assistance Center (GTAC). The GTAC is being established in the London headquarters of the U.K. security service MI5 – the equivalent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S.


The House of Commons, which had already passed the RIP bill this year, voted to approve amendments added by the House of Lords on July 13. Mainly as a formality, the bill must now be signed by the Queen to receive its official passage into law with what is known as the Royal Assent.


Some U.K. ISPs and civil rights organizations have argued that the amendments are mainly cosmetic and do not adequately address the "Big Brother" powers granted to the U.K. government to access e-mail and other electronic data without a warrant.

http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,17179,00.html
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldbills/104/00104--j.htm