A man talks on a mobile phone as the hi-rise buildings of the banks based in the Canary Wharf business district are seen in the distance from Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath in London. British officials have given their word: ‘We won’t read your emails.’ But experts say that its proposed new surveillance program, unveiled last week as part of the government’s annual legislative program, will gather so much data that spooks won’t have to read your messages to guess what you’re up to.RAPHAEL SATTER
Associated Press
LONDON – British officials have given their word: “We won’t read your emails.”
But experts say the government’s proposed new surveillance program will gather so much data that spooks won’t have to read your messages to guess what you’re up to.
The U.K. Home Office stresses it won’t be reading the content of every Britons’ communications, saying the data it seeks “is NOT the content of any communication.” It is, however, looking for information about who’s sending the message and to whom, where it’s sent from and other details, including a message’s length and its format.