News UK secretly tests tool to track web activity

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The development is being carried out by two unnamed Internet service providers, the Home Office and the UK's National Crime Agency.

Over the past two years, police and Internet companies across the UK have been quietly building and testing surveillance technology that could capture and store information about web page views by every user in the country.

As reported by Wired, the development is being carried out by two unnamed Internet service providers, the Ministry of the Interior and the National Crime Agency, in accordance with surveillance laws passed in late 2016. If successful, data collection systems can be deployed at the national level, creating one of the most powerful and controversial surveillance tools.

Recall that the Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II in 2016 signed the" Law on the powers of investigation " (Investigative Powers Bill). According to the document, British telecommunications companies and Internet service providers are required to store telephone conversations and data on user activity on the Network for one year. The law, informally known as the Snooper's Charter, was passed by the House of Lords. English law requires Internet service providers to store information only about the facts of Internet connections (Internet Connection Records, ICR). The surveillance law may require Internet companies and phone carriers to keep their browsing history for 12 months, but they must obtain an order approved by a senior judge to do so.

It remains unknown what data is collected, which companies are involved, and how this information is used. The Interior Ministry declined to provide details of the tests. The data can only be stored if it is necessary and proportionate, and the ICR was introduced to help combat serious crime, the Home Office said.

Among the main Internet service providers in the UK, only Vodafone confirmed that it was not involved in any tests related to the storage of user Internet data. Representatives of BT, Virgin Media and Sky declined to comment on any measures related to this law. Mobile operator Three did not respond to a request for comment.
 
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