Communications Data

This week’s blog will examine the problem the government face with communications data. To do this I will be looking into the problem faced by the government and asking the question whether the government should have the right to access information about its citizen’s communications.

http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/ripa/communications-data/

Communications data is material, for example subscriber and billing records obtained from service providers such as telephone and Internet companies. As this type of information doesn’t contain any of the content involved in the material it can be used as evidence in trials.
The government is looking into ways keeping up with the changing communications environment. The existing capability of the police, the security and intelligence agencies and other public authorities is declining, and therefore they see change as necessary.
The home office published a consultation called ‘Protecting the public in a changing communications environment’. It looked at the importance of communications data in helping to protect and safeguard the public.

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/cons-2009-communication-data/

Here is a link to the response to the consultation paper

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/cons-2009-communication-data/cons-2009-comms-data-responses2835.pdf?view=Binary

Article 8 of the human rights act says that everyone has the right for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence. This raises the argument that the government should not be able to the right to access communications data as it calls into question the human rights act.
However I feel that the government should have access to its citizen’s communications data if people’s lives are put in danger due to acts of terrorism. If you are planning to cause harm or endanger lives then your qualified rights of article 8 should be inferior to those rights of others. I also feel that although the government aren’t allowed to use the content of communications in extreme circumstances they should be if it helps prevent terrorism or other serious crimes.