They’re watching …

A House of Lords report has warned that the growth of surveillance is one of the most significant changes in British society since the second world war.

ROUTINE PRYING Lords warn surveillance is having a big effect on UK

The House of Lords last week published a scathing report into surveillance in the UK, warning that monitoring the everyday activities of innocent individuals was becoming “pervasive” and “routine”. The report noted both the speed of change that had led to surveillance becoming “an inescapable part of life in the UK” and the fundamental effect this was having on society – “one of the most significant changes in the life of the nation since the end of the second world war”. Lord Norton of Louth, a member of the committee, said: “This whole area is moving so fast. Even as we were working on this report, we found we were running to keep still. New issues, like the loss of the [child benefit] data discs, would come up all the time.”

MAJOR CULPRITS Huge DNA database and CCTV highlighted

Among the developments criticised was the growth of the national DNA database which the Lords said could ultimately be used “for malign purposes”. The government must, they insisted, ensure that DNA profiles of innocent individuals are not retained indefinitely. “The DNA database was never meant to be used in this way and the Lords are clearly very distressed by its current use,” said Simon Davies of Privacy International. “It was meant for major, convicted criminals, not people who forgot to buy a train ticket once.” The widespread use of CCTV was also queried, with the Lords pointing out that nobody could even tell them how many cameras there were in the UK.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE Public do not realise the implications of laws

The importance of privacy, an issue which the Lords emphasise is not fully understood by the public, is reiterated throughout the report. “Many of these surveillance practices are unknown to most people and their potential consequences are not fully appreciated,” they advise. Every day an astonishing range of information is gathered, extending from phone calls, internet usage and e-mails to the Oyster cards used on London’s transport system and store loyalty cards – and the Lords warn that this data may be exploited in ways the public would not anticipate. Increasing interaction between the public and private sector exacerbates this problem. Government utilisation of airline passenger manifests to record entry and exit into the UK is one example.

‘CATEGORY BLACK’ Britain ranks with worst in world for privacy

In 2004, Richard Thomas, the information commissioner at the time, warned that Britain was “sleepwalking” into a surveillance society. Davies believes the situation has got worse. “When we categorise the privacy ratings of all the countries, Britain is already in the black category along with some pretty unpleasant societies,” he said. “Next year we will have to find a darker category.” Some of the worst examples identified by the Lords involved the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) by local councils to “stop fly tipping, reduce dog fouling, and investigate fraudulent school place applications”. The Lords recommended that RIPA only be used for the investigation of serious criminal offences.