James Baker: ‘We will be the most monitored society in history’

THE UK often appears lagging behind the rest of the world, but if plans to track all of our e-mails, text messages and phone calls are put in place we will soon be leapfrogging China.

In terms of surveillance we will gain the title of the most monitored society in history.

Many of us campaigning for freedom thought the coalition promised a new direction. In the early days there was talk of restoring civil liberties and rolling back the database state. Sadly, much of the promised freedom has failed to materialise.

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Even the much vaunted “Freedom Bill” has yet to even make it on to the statue books.

As revived plans for mass surveillance come back from the dead, we are reminded that governments come and go, but officials remain.

Sadly, ministers seem unable or unwilling to stand up to the powerful security lobby comprising MI5, GCHQ and the Home Office.

• James Baker, campaigns manager for NO2ID, the national campaign against the “database state”.

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