In case you’re concerned that any of your seemingly ignored blog pieces have been long forgotten, take heart. From today, all internet service providers are legally obliged to store details of all your on-line communications for twelve months.
Lee Turnpenny
Musings of an oft-bemused former laboratory postdoc
Lee Turnpenny 
Makes one reluctant to leave comments, somehow… ;-)
Ignorantia juris non excusat_: should we want to complain, we probably should pay attention when electing European Parliament representatives and then tell them what we think of such measures at the time10520060413en00540063.pdf .
But it would be nice if our news outlets covered European parliament news in a balanced manner relative to our national parliaments, when applicable.
I was surprised when I heard it on this morning’s Today (when, I think, it got approximately 21 seconds of coverage) because I actually thought it was already in place. I’m not of the ‘little England-er’ mindset, being largely pro-EU. But this one, which our government is mad keen for regardless, I’m uncomfortable with. If for ‘security’ purposes, then twelve months is insufficient, surely.
Whilst I jokily refer to blogs, which we post in the public domain, E-mails may be personal and meant for nobody but the intended recipient. I consider the “If you’ve nothing to hide, what’s the problem?” line a flaccid argument. Privacy is important.
(Do you think this comment will see me placed on the list of subversives ???)
I’ve never been really convinced that recording every movement or contact is going to do any good. There is so much to filter, and not enough intelligent humans to do it well and impartially. Should the majority of the population be treated as criminals, and if so, by whom? (I assume you may have come across Little Brother already, which expressed this much better and more virulently than I could do.)
But given our every click may be kept, a year is long enough for me. Less is better than more. Otherwise it’s just a means to support a trial later on (rather than an aid in dismantling future terrorist action), and more means could lead to more potential reasons to put someone on a Kafka-esque trial. I agree with your sentiment on “if you’re perfectly honest, you have nothing to hide” – see recent example.