In Britain, passed a law that allows "spying" on citizens

Last week, Britain was shocked by the new law passed by its government, which, according to Snowden, allows "the most extreme observation of citizens in the history of Western democracy." Known as the "Law on Investigation Powers", or the "Charter of Followers," this bill opens to government agencies access to a huge amount of personal data relating to all members of society. But how exactly will the surveillance of the British be conducted in accordance with this new law?

Oddly enough, the investigative powers of the court, which is the only body that controls MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, have been revamped last month, as these institutions have conducted illegal observations in the past 17 years. In order to make sure that this will not happen again, the authorities decided simply to legitimize most of the secret activities.

What personal information is open to agencies

For example, the Watchtower Charter allows public authorities to access a set of personal data that includes details such as financial transactions, medical records, travel arrangements and communication. The bill also requires Internet providers to maintain a history of viewing each user and save it for 12 months, making it accessible to government agencies.

Which agencies have access to information

An extensive list of organizations that can access this information contains several law enforcement agencies, such as various British police forces, as well as secret intelligence services, the CSP and the Ministry of Defense.

Nevertheless, the list does not stop there. It also includes similar agencies for food standards, gambling commissions, the Department of Labor and Pensions, as well as the Her Majesty's Income Department and the customs service that deals with taxes.

Powers of law enforcement bodies

The bill also gives law enforcement authorities unprecedented powers to break into people's personal devices, regardless of whether they are suspected of involvement in criminal or terrorist activities, or not.

It is also alarming that telecom operators are now also obliged to remove all encryption to make it easier for government bodies to access information. If some effective new security measures are not taken, this will open the door for hackers who will be able to acquire British personal information more easily than ever before.

It is not surprising that activists and advocates of private life expressed their protest against the adoption of the bill, calling it "the most extreme law of observation that was ever adopted in a democratic society".