UK surveillance bill: 19,000 letters opposing, 0 in favour

The Snooper's Charter is Britain's pending Internet surveillance law, which requires ISPs, online services and telcoms companies to retain enormous amounts of private online transactions, and to hand them over to government and law enforcement employees without a warrant. A public campaign on the bill had 19,000 responses, every one of which opposed the legislation. 19,000 against, 0 for. The question is, will the government (which ran in part by opposing similar legislation proposed by the previous Labour government) actually pay attention? Here's Glyn Moody in Computerworld:

Got that? Out of 19,000 emails received by the Committee on the subject of the proposed Draft Communications Bill, not a single one was in favour of it, or even agreed with its premise. Has there ever been a bill so universally rejected by the public in a consultation? Clearly, it must be thrown out completely.

Snooper's Charter: 19,000 Emails Against, 0 In Favour (via /.)

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MORE: authoritarianism • lawful interception • privacy • snoopers charter • surveillance • uk

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yadayada

That means it’s a shoo-in.

Yes, I’m that cynical.
- http://twitter.com/RhymingObituary RhymingObituary
  
  Nowadays I’m pretty sure that passes for “realistic”. We don’t really live in a democracy anymore, it’s an Oligarchy in Democratic fancy dress.
mortdieu

If 19,000 people emailed in to disagree, that means that there’s 60,000,000 plus who didn’t do so, and therefore are in favour of this Bill.

Surely the democratic thing to do is pass it as it stands, as the supporters outnumber objecters by 3,000 to 1!
- http://lemoutan.blogspot.com/ Lemoutan
  
  Silence gives consent.
peregrinus

Conversation overhead today at the Ministry of Itsallsortedoutthankyousomuchforasking:

Smith, where did you put those … er … email things? This nice gentleman from Private Eye wants a peek at them, might publish a few, you know
? email things sir?
Yes, yes, the Snoopy Charter ones
oh those!
Yes, Smith, those! Well done, good recollection old chap, always have had a fine mind
I’m terribly sorry sir
? sorry ?
They’ve er gone
gone where?
that’s just the thing sir. I have no idea. And Jane can’t find them either. They’ve simply vanished!
Well, that’s that then. In default of any argument or evidence establishing a position to the contrary, we’re really quite obliged to pass the Snoppy Thing. To do otherwise would be a hideous breach of the Nation’s trust in our ability to run the country
I quite agree sir. If the emails do turn up, shall I bring them to you sir?
No Smith, thank you for your diligence and thoughtfullness. It should be somewhat inappropriate to litter the proceedings with anything irrelevant to the current status, as it is to be shortly, you understand. Once we have performed our national duty of the strongest efforts to manage the Nation we should not desire any confusion or obfuscation that might create anxiety
Jolly good sir. Anything else?
Run along now Smith. And take that fellow with you
http://www.disoriented.net/ angusm

Those 19,000 people must have something to hide. And if there are 19,000 people with something to hide, then that means we need this legislation now, so we can find out what they’re trying to hide.

All in favor say “aye”.