Phones log plan 'is awful Big Brother nightmare'

MINISTERS were today warned by their own anti-terrorism watchdog that plans to log every phone call, email and internet visit in the UK could turn into an "awful" Big Brother nightmare.

Lord Carlile of Berriew, the independent reviewer of anti-terrorist laws, said he was concerned by suggestions that such a large volume of private information could be stored on one vast new database.

He said there would be the risk of the data being used for unjustified "fishing expeditions" into the private lives of targeted individuals. He also expressed concern over Whitehall's recent "unhappy record" of losing supposedly secure data.

Lord Carlile's warning was issued ahead of a speech today by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith setting out her latest plans for combating the terrorist threat.

Ms Smith was preparing to set out further details of the plan to log details of all phone, email and internet use in the UK.

Proposals on this are due to be contained in a Data Communications Bill, to be introduced in the Queen's Speech in December. Lord Carlile warned storing the information on one huge database would be a mistake unless strict controls were adopted.

"As a raw idea, it is awful," he said. "However it is a question of how it is developed. Searches should be made on a case-by-case basis with reviewing measures so that they can't be done willy-nilly."

Under the proposed legislation, internet service providers and telephone companies would hand over millions of phone and internet records to the Home Office which would store them for at least 12 months. Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, has described the plans as "a step too far for the British way of life".

Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: "The Government must justify the case for any such massive increase in state acquisition of data, spell out the safeguards to prevent abuse and, given its appalling record, explain how it will protect the integrity of any database."