Theresa May hasn’t wasted any time. The Independent reports today that Ms May (Home Secretary in the coalition administration) has said that the new Tory administration will bring the Draft Communications Data Bill, previously blocked by the Liberal Democrats, back to the House of Commons with the intention of getting it passed into law. As the Independent also reports, dear Dave, who is let us say, technically challenged, has in the past expressed the view that no form of communication should be unreadable by the Goverment. This implies severe restrictions on all forms of encryption.
Given that the Tories now have the majority they lacked in the last administration, it is clear that they will see themselves free to attack the kind of liberties I, and millions like me enjoy and cherish. The Open Rights Group maintain a wiki devoted to the relevant points of each political party’s manifesto relating to surveillance or other possible attacks on privacy. As they point out, the Tory party is committed to:
- introducing “new communications data legislation”;
- scrapping the Human Rights Act;
- requiring internet service providers to block (certain) sites;
- enabling employers to check whether an individual is an extremist;
- requiring age verification for access to all sites containing pornographic material.
There are, of course, huge practical and technical difficulties in implementing much of what the Tories wish to do (consider for example the idiocy of attempting to outlaw VPN technology) but that won’t stop them trying. Indeed, some of the technical difficulties may cause the new administration to bring in mechanisms to get around those problems. An obvious example would be the requirement for key escrow for anyone wishing to use encryption.
Excuse me if I find that unacceptable. Time to encrypt much, much more of my everyday activity from now on.