Deluge of e-mails on its way to Home Secretary

Published on Friday 30 January 2009 23:56

WHEN Jacqui Smith unveiled proposals to track every e-mail, phone call and text message, she might have let herself in for more than she bargained for.

Thousands of civil liberties campaigners plan to flood the Home Secretary's inbox by copying her in on every email they send on 15 June.

Martin Allan Gray, an account manager from London, is spearheading the campaign. He said he aims to send the message: "You want to see our e-mails? OK, here they are!"

Ms Smith announced proposals for a communications "superdatabase", containing details of everyone's telephone calls, e-mails and internet use, last month,

A message from Mr Allan Gray, 29, on the campaign's Facebook page says: "This is an immense infringement of civil liberties, not to mention a major risk to our private data – but it won't make us any safer."

Mr Allan Gray has won the backing of Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone, Welsh Assembly member Peter Black and the Bishop of Buckinghamshire.

In her blog, Ms Featherstone described the proposals as "bonkers" and said she was backing the e-mail onslaught because "civil liberties is the Lib Dem middle name".

The database would not store the content of communications, only details of internet sites visited and e-mails and telephone calls made, to whom and when.

It is intended to assist police and security services.

The scheme, which critics claim could cost up to 12 billion, would be managed by a private company.