The privacy watchdog organisation Privacy International has filed simultaneous complaints with Data Protection and Privacy regulators in 33 countries concerning recent revelations of secret disclosures of millions of records from the banking giant SWIFT to US intelligence agencies. The disclosures, undertaken on the grounds of counter-terrorism, involve the mass transfer of data from the SWIFT centre in Belgium to the US, and possibly direct access by US authorities both to data held within Belgium and data residing in SWIFT centres worldwide.
Renewed demands for a full public inquiry into the July 7 London bombings are expected after two official reports fail to identify intelligence blunders or a clear link with British foreign policy. Read the comments of Milan Rai of Justice not Vengeance.
Two women were arrested at NSA Menwith Hill on 1st April within hours of the new Act being brought into force. More details here.
The House of Lords accepted the amendment that anyone applying for a new biometric passport before January 2010 could opt out of having an ID card. See the latest on campaigning against ID cards and databases in the UK.
The legislation means offenders could be jailed for up to seven years for encouraging or inducing terrorism under the clause. Critics say it will damage free speech. Read the text of the debate.
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