British government snoops on citizens

"Police and other officials are making around a million requests for access to data held by net and telephone companies each year, according to figures compiled from the government, legal experts and the internet industry," reports the BBC. Well, maybe it's only half a million, but the Metropolitan Police alone made about 350 requests a day in 2001. "Lawyers who spoke at the debate said that the government's claim on retaining data contradicted the European Human Rights Act which states that there must be a good reason to interfere with personal data."