New web data powers plan for police

A law forcing communications firms to hand details to police of who was using a computer or mobile phone at a given time is to be outlined by Theresa May.

The home secretary said the measure would improve national security.

Under the Anti Terrorism and Security Bill, providers would have to hold on to data linking devices to users.

A previous attempt to give the security services more powers to monitor internet use was opposed as a "snoopers' charter" by the Lib Dems.

The coalition split saw the Communications Data Bill - which would have forced companies to keep details of everyone's online activity for a year - dropped by in April 2013.

That bill would also have extended the range of information telecommunications firms had to store, including the time, duration, location and recipients of messages sent on social media, emails and phone calls - although a warrant would be needed to view the content of messages.

In her party conference speech in September, Mrs May attacked her Lib Dem coalition colleagues for their stance on the bill.

But Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg later said that the suggestion that his party's opposition had put children's lives at risk was "absolutely appalling".

The BBC's Simon Clemison said the latest announcement has again exposed the divisions between the coalition partners about privacy and security.

'Disproportionate proposals'

The new measures on IP addresses are to be put before the Commons on Wednesday and Mrs May said they would boost national security.

But she said the case for increased powers must continue to be made.

"The bill provides the opportunity to resolve the very real problems that exist around IP resolution and is a step in the right direction towards bridging the overall communications data capability gap. But I believe we need to make further changes to the law."

The Liberal Democrats welcomed Mrs May's measures but said the "much wider and disproportionate proposals" will not be resurfacing under the coalition government.

A spokesman said: "The Liberal Democrats are in favour of action on IP address matching and have been since it was recommended by the joint committee that did the pre-legislative scrutiny on the Communications Data Bill. The committee said the proposals were the only part of that Bill that did not reduce civil liberties.

"This is exactly the kind of thing that we need to take action on, rather than proposing an unnecessary, unworkable and disproportionate snooper's charter."


BBC News