New anti-terrorism rules 'allow US to spy on British motorists'
21 04 08 - 02:34 Routine journeys carried out by millions of British motorists can be monitored by authorities in the United States and other enforcement agencies across the world under anti-terrorism rules introduced discreetly by Jacqui Smith.Yesterday, politicians and civil liberties groups accused the Home Secretary of keeping the plans to export pictures secret from Parliament when she announced last year that British anti-terrorism police could access "real time" images from cameras used in the running of London's congestion charge.
A statement by Miss Smith to Parliament on July 17, 2007, detailing the exemptions for police from the 1998 Data Protection Act, did not mention other changes that would permit material to be sent outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to the authorities in the US and elsewhere.
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[ At least we know about it now. No one can feel assured that they won't be monitored like this simply for speaking out against some aspect of government policy - we would expect that to happen with similar technology in China after all. We can't trust our government. ]
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