Posted on 04/08/2012 1:00:19 PM PDT by Olog-hai
Liberal Democrat President Tim Farron today vowed the party would "kill" proposals for increased monitoring of emails and internet use if they were not watered down.
Mr. Farron said he was "prepared" to look at draft legislation, dubbed a "snoopers charter", when it is published, but warned he was "in no mood" to back "authoritarian" laws.
Many Lib Dems were "horrified" by the plans, which would allow Government listening post GCHQ to monitor internet traffic—times, dates, numbers and addresses—in real time. …
The Government has faced an intense backlash over the plans, with senior Conservatives joining Lib Dems and civil rights campaigners in warning they would cause a gross intrusion into freedom and privacy. …
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Do the words “liberal democrat” mean the same on the other side of the pond?
I was thinking the liberals there, are like Republicans?
That’s what I was wondering yes.
For some reason I was thinking “liberal” meant pro-business almost libertarian over there.
Thanks for the correction.
I don’t care what they are called. I hope they do. I’m up to here with Gov’t intrusion in our lives.
Great link thanks.
Its complicated. In American terms, they are generally both socially and fiscally liberal. I wouldn’t call them ‘libertarian’ in terms of law and order policy, but they are less in favour of government power over individuals than the other two parties. Probably because they aren’t really used to holding any real power themselves...
I completely agree.
This IS a “gross intrusion into freedom & privacy”.
This is the type of stuff that, for example, Mullahs regime has been doing for yrs in Iran, under the banner of “threats to national security”.
We want to do it ‘to counter terrorism’.
If Britain or any gov’t wants to fight “terrorism & catch serious criminals, who communicate thru the net”, then why target everyone? Have better, more accruate intelligence, come up with the right technology, and then “update rules”.
Seriously, what will they do next “to fight terrorism”? Pass a legislation that you log how often you take or shower or go to the toilet?
My bet is that those criminals & terrorists who need to be monitored will find ways to do what they want to do. But, it will mostly be an intrusion into ordinary peoples’ lives.
That’s because they’d rather that Brussels hold such power over Britain rather than Westminster.
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