Britain perceived as surveillance society according to survey

Story link: Britain perceived as surveillance society according to survey by Jan Harris

According to an online poll for Liberty, the civil rights group, almost 60 per cent of people believe that Britain has become a surveillance society.

The poll also found that only 17 per cent of Britons trusted the authorities to maintain the confidentiality of their personal data.

Liberty believes that anti-terrorism measures implemented since the 11 September terrorist attacks on the US, have severely compromised the privacy of UK citizens.

The poll accompanies a report by the group, which reports growing use of CCTV, an increase in personal details being stored on databases, unprecedented use of phone tapping and inappropriate use of the National DNA Database.

Liberty has recently successfully campaigned for the DNA of a 13 year old boy to be removed from the database, after he was falsely accused of writing graffiti. The database contains the DNA of around 100,000 innocent children.

The civil rights group is campaigning for tighter regulation of CCTV, for the powers of the Information Commissioner to be strengthened and for judges to have the right to review the way interception of email and phone calls is handled.