Village Hampden: Police State Expansion Proposals

The Village Hampden has picked up Charles Clarkes proposals to retain all email and telephone records and correctly says that while this will do thing to stop terrorism it could stiffle free speach.

Such snooping is unlikely to pick up any terrorists, but it might pay for itself by inducing a degree of self censorship of politically incorrect thought, so that something that you dare not send at work for fear of the PC horde, you will soon not dare send privately either for fear of the Government. There will also be a few messages picked up for prosecution under the religious hatred laws, and maybe the odd builder offering a discount to his customers for cash. No one will be safe.

His solution. "Encrypt everything". Small problem, you cannot encrypt anything. If you have anything that is encrypted on yur hard disk then you must give up the keys to the government on demand because of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. Should you loose the keys then it is up to you to prove this. One of the Tyrant Blair's first attempts to make us all guilty until proven inocent.