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The Investigatory Powers Bill could flood GCHQ with more information than it can handle

by Josef Kafka

The UK government has produced a draft bill, known as the Investigatory Powers Bill, that would legitimise the bulk collection of data by GCHQ using mass surveillance. Whether this bill constitutes a breach of civil rights is, naturally, a matter of heated debate. However, a former senior staff member in the NSA has raised another important issue. William Binney (who worked in the NSA for 30 years) has stated that mass surveillance of the type proposed in the bill will not protect citizens and may actually put lives in danger.

Binney argues that “bulk acquisition is a major impediment to success by analysts and law enforcers” because it overloads the system with too much data. So it becomes difficult or impossible for analysts to locate useful information within the superfluous data. If the Investigatory Powers Bill passes into law, it could clog GCHQ with excessive information and put Britain at greater risk from terrorists.

But what would the Investigatory Powers Bill mean for you? GCHQ already uses a number of extensive surveillance techniques. However, if the bill becomes law, mass surveillance could become far more common and the risk of your own data being scooped up by GCHQ could increase. If the bill offered additional protection to citizens, this might be a less troubling prospect. However, if Binney’s analysis is correct, the bill will sacrifice citizens’ privacy without offering them greater security in return. 

However, it’s worth noting that the bill may not make it into law. Considering that an experienced and senior member of the NSA has argued against the Investigatory Powers Bill, it’s entirely possible that the UK government will abandon it. Of course, the government and GCHQ have access to information about threats to the nation’s security which we ordinary citizens don’t and this information may affect the decision on whether to proceed with the bill. The one thing we can be certain of is that the bill will remain highly controversial until it is either passed or abandoned. If you are concerned about who might be looking at your data, it’s worth following the progress of the bill very closely. 

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