The "Snooping Bill": last chance for change

On 12 June the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) Bill enters full house committee stage - realistically the last opportunity to influence the make-up of the so-called 'Snooping Bill'. And influence it we should.

This flawed piece of legislation - due to become law in October - raises ethical and financial concerns. Let's leave the former to the civil liberties groups for the time being and concentrate on hard cash.

Part of the Bill deals with intercepting email communication. With the right warrant, fine. The problem comes over who meets the costs. When the Bill first came out, it was presumed ISPs would foot the bill. Since then, the Home Office has followed up heavy hints with harder promises that it will share the burden.

Not good enough say the ISPs, in the guise of the ISP Association (Ispa). And they're right.

Sympathy for BT, Cable & Wireless and co. is difficult to muster. These giants can doubtless look after themselves, but there are scores of small ISPs who will struggle to pay for interception equipment and manpower. Demon estimates it will have to spend £1m, or ten to fifteen per cent of running costs.

Again why should we care? First, if we truly believe the UK has Europe's most forward-thinking Net access market, financial constraints such as these threaten to stop this trend in its tracks. Second, if the ISPs do end up paying for this it won't be long before the costs are passed on to users - whether consumers or businesses.

Ispa points out that the police do not ask Ford or Vauxhall to provide police cars for nothing, nor do they ask for free petrol from BP and Esso. Yet all four of these companies expect protection from the law. As it is with these firms, so should it be with ISPs.

Last Thursday, the RIP Bill passed peacefully through its second reading in the House of Lords. Flicking through Hansard - which features a three-page monologue from Lord Bassam of Brighton - you would have thought this is the least contentious piece of legislation of the season.

It's not, but time is running out to change it.