Jamie Doward Sunday June 11, 2000
Tim Berners-Lee, regarded as the father of the world wide web, has launched a blistering attack on government plans to give the security services sweeping powers to intercept emails and monitor traffic on the internet. The computer scientist who invented the technologies which underpin the web told The Observer that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill would stifle the development of the internet.
He said the Bill - now going through the House of Lords - would have been thrown out 'in a second' in the US. 'It gives a government great power to abuse personal and commercial innovation.'
Once the Bill becomes law every internet service provider (ISP) in the UK will be required to install a link to the security services, whichwill then be able to monitor internet traffic. Security services will be able to find out which websites users look at, which pages they download, and which chatrooms or discussion groups they frequent.
Even more controversially, the Bill gives the Home Secretary the power to demand the surrender of keys to en-crypted data - a proposal which has been fiercely criticised by civil liberties and business organisations alike.
Other campaigners have pointed out that the Bill does not recognise the global nature of the internet and is therefore doomed to failure.
Berners-Lee believes the Bill fails to make governments accountable for their actions: 'There's very little protection. There's no recourse if your information has been pilfered by the Government, and even if it comes to light there is very little you can do.'
He is also concerned that third parties will be unable to monitor the authorities' actions: 'Is there any way the press can ever find out to what extent this is happening? Is there any independent agency which has the right to follow up every request and find out statistically to what extent some of these things were just abuses of power?'
Some commentators claim that an unregulated internet is far more dangerous than the threat of a strong-armed Government. They cite the example of David Copeland, currently being tried at the Old Bailey for causing bomb explosions in London, who allegedly found out how to make bombs on the web.
But Berners-Lee argues that you cannot shoot the messenger. 'The internet is an enabling technology. Information has always been powerful and suddenly we have a much more powerful information tool, and this poses challenges to society to use it for good rather than bad.'
His attack comes days after the Bill was attacked by the Institute of Directors. Professor Jim Norton, head of e-business policy, expressed fears that the Bill could be interpreted too broadly - giving government excessive powers and even forcing companies to move abroad.
'Is it really the intention to provide Inland Revenue or VAT inspectors or DTI company investigators with these powers?' he said. Many companies were worried, 'especially multinationals who contrast the proposed UK legislation with far more business-friendly proposals in Ireland, France, Germany and even the US.'
The Government will come under further pressure later this week when the London School of Economics releases a research paper highly critical of the Bill. The paper - commissioned by the British Chamber of Commerce - will argue that the Bill risks inflicting serious damage to both business and civil liberties.
The Observer 11-06-00 Mark Jones http://www.egroups.com/group/CrashList