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BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Giant database plan ‘Orwellian’

Proposals for a central database of all mobile phone and internet traffic have been condemned as “Orwellian”.

And FYI, a list from protests.org.uk of “steps towards a Big Brother society” which have already been made:

• The government can ban any groups it labels ‘terrorist’ (Terrorism Act 2000)
• The government can monitor any and all private communication (Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000)
• Armed forces can be deployed on UK soil in peacetime (Civil Contingencies Act 2004)
• Property and assets can be seized without warning or compensation (Civil Contingencies Act 2004)
• Spontaneous protest is now illegal around Parliament (Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005)
• Without trial, any British citizen can be tagged, put under house arrest and banned from using the telephone or internet (Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005)
• Any citizen can be imprisoned without charge for 28 days (42 days has passed the house of commons) (Terrorism Act 2006)
• The executive can change any current legislation without consulting Parliament, with very few exceptions (Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006)
• Arbitrary punishments with no legal precedents can be issued with little legal recourse, based on hearsay evidence (
  Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003)
• British citizens can be extradicted to the United States with no evidence presented (Extradition Act 2003)
• Compulsory identification for all British citizens, with an unlimited amount of details stored in a central database, which the private sector will have access to (Identity Cards Act 2006)
• Upon arrest the police have claim to your DNA, even if you are released without charge (Criminal Justice Act 2003)