Minister says snooper’s charter should be celebrated as he reveals ‘unprecedented’ threat from terror
Home Office minister Ben Wallace said campaigners fighting to scrap new surveillance laws are opposing democracy and freedom
EUROPEAN cities face “unprecedented levels of threat” from terrorists, the Security Minister has declared - as he lashed out at civil liberties groups.
Home Office minister Ben Wallace has said campaigners fighting to scrap new surveillance laws are opposing democracy and freedom.
The senior Tory delivered the broadside in an article for The Sun to mark the controversial Investigatory Powers Act getting Royal assent this week.
After a painstaking year of debate and revision in Parliament, spy and police chiefs are now able to use the long-called for new powers.
Critics dubbed the news laws “the Snooper’s Charter”.
But the minister hit back to say it’s vital to keep up with major technological advances and allow them to snoop on terrorists’ and paedophiles’ internet use, where they now plot.
Mr Wallace said: “There are those who are already demanding the Act is ditched because they don’t like it.
“These same people claim to stand for transparency and democracy.
“That is not how democracy works.”
Instead, the powers should be “celebrated as the UK taking a stand against those who threaten our freedoms”, he added.
"It is essential for our law enforcement and security and intelligence services to have the powers they need to keep people safe"
By BEN WALLACE, Security Minister
THIS week the Investigatory Powers Act passed its final stages in Parliament and was granted Royal Assent by the Queen.
Rarely has a piece of legislation been more vital for the safety and security of our families, communities and country.
And never has it been subject to so much scrutiny by Parliament and experts.
Yet there are those who are already demanding the Act is ditched because they don’t like it. These same people claim to stand for transparency and democracy.
That is not how democracy works.
The Investigatory Powers Act is the result of three independent reports, all of which concluded a new law was needed, and unprecedented Parliamentary scrutiny – first as a draft Bill then as full legislation.
The Act responds to the fact that technology is evolving at an ever increasing rate and the way we all communicate is changing at the same speed.
It is essential for our law enforcement and security and intelligence services to have the powers they need to keep people safe.
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The capabilities to keep up with terrorists, paedophiles, and organised criminals - who seek to exploit the most vulnerable in our society through the opportunities that the digital age presents - have been brought right up to date and brought together in one place.
As a result of this legislation more information than ever before is now public about the powers our security and intelligence agencies use to keep us safe – some of it highly sensitive.
At the same time the oversight and protections put in place to govern the use of those powers have been significantly strengthened to protect people’s privacy. This includes the creation of an independent and powerful Commissioner and, for the first time, senior judges will be signing off warrants.
The Act protects both privacy and security. The police and intelligence services are not accessing your information unless you threaten the UK or mean harm to the public.
As Sun readers are all too aware, we are living in troubling times.
Given the unprecedented levels of threat from terrorism to Europe, it is right that we give the powers to our security and intelligence services that they need.
We also need to give the police the powers to combat the near and real danger to our children from paedophiles who use the internet to target and abuse the most innocent in our society.
In the face of serious threats, our first priority must always remain the safety of the British public.
That is why Royal Assent of this vital legislation must be celebrated as the UK taking a stand against those who threaten our freedoms.