Proposals for a communications data bill which will create a database of emails, text messages and voice over internet protocol calls have been announced by the Home Office.

The department says the move is a response to changing communication methods over the past fifteen years, reports TeleClick.

"Changes to the way we communicate, due particularly to the Internet revolution, will increasingly undermine our current capabilities to obtain communications data and use it to protect the public," the office said in a statement.

It went on to add that it is necessary to bring forward the release of the bill to ensure that public authorities and law enforcement agencies can use the database.

Civil libertarians, security experts and internet service providers have questioned the idea of a digital surveillance database, saying it could allow government officials throughout Europe to follow the behaviour of internet users, according to the technology news provider.

Earlier this week, Lord Erroll, spokesman for the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee's report on personal internet security, called on the government to implement a programme of technical legislation and information to tackle the problem of online security breaches.



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