Glyn Wintle, 29 October 2008
Shadow security minister Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones told ZDNet UK on Wednesday that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) needs to be addressed to stop the misuse of anti-terrorist powers by local authorities. "We will clean up RIPA," said Neville-Jones. "Look at the number of authorities who have access to information and have powers to investigate what you put in your dustbins and that your children are going to school in the right catchment area. These are powers under RIPA. Are they desirable? Certainly not."Source: ZDNetNeville-Jones said "We've gone very quickly from paper records that are not easily transferable to electronic data," said Neville-Jones. "Now the issue is the privacy of individuals." ... "the powers of the state are greater than the controls over it to prevent the abuse of power". Specific measures would include a revision of RIPA legislation, plus a strengthening of the independent oversight by the surveillance commissioner of the use of powers by local authorities.
