UK Moves Ahead with Telecoms Inteception Project

It is being reported that Vodafone, along with BT, has signed on for a �1bn Interception Modernisation Program (IMP) pilot project. It�'s planned the "black box" data harvesters that the electronic surveillance agency GCHQ wants to deploy throughout the UK communications infrastructure will be inserted in Vodafone and BT�'s networks initially.

The probes would populate a pilot central database with details of who communicates with whom, when and where. The content of communications would not be fed to the database, but storing data about the communications of "people of interest" to law enforcement and the intelligence services, together with the black boxes, then would make wiretaps much easier to implement.

But now, industry sources skeptical about the wisdom and feasibility of IMP said its officials are effectively "fighting for their jobs" ahead of the consultation. When she decided to open a public consultation, Jacqui Smith ordered them to consider all options, including the possibility that no new system will be authorised.

A Vodafone spokeswoman denied the report, saying: "We are not involved in any pilot programme."

Adapted from a statement on the Open Rights Group - Creative Commons

Posted to the site on 18th December 2008