IMP - an overview

A significant paper from the LSE provides an overview and substantial critique of the Government plans for review of the interception of communications traffic data - currently under consultation.

The paper, which can be downloaded here provides a review of UK intercept law, changes in communications and the technological limitations of the proposals for high levels of deep packet inspection (DPI). This is a paper that is informative and a useful contribution to the debate. It notes that there are significant privacy issues although these are for others to discuss. What it does do is to point out the limitations of the core technology concepts behind the Intercept Modernisation Programme (IMP) and ‘Mastering the Internet’, the GCHQ programme aimed at collecting and analysing data within the UK’s Internet traffic.

Every MP and member of the House of Lords should read this - and should then be made to sit an examination on its contents with passage to permission to debate only granted on being able to demonstrate a satisfactory understanding of the content. Well, pigs might fly!

The Home Office Consultation, ‘Protecting the Public in a Changing Communications Environment’ can be downloaded here.