Privazzzzzy? Pay attention, your wallet's at risk

Perhaps your mouse starts to wander towards more exciting subjects such as sex, virus, rock 'n' Linux.

But the reason we drone on about privacy so often is that it's important, and it's under threat.

Today's story, about a far-flung European committee mulling a draft proposal of support for another wordy piece of legislation, would send even a hyperactive speed freak to sleep.

It would be easy to shrug your shoulders and say: "What the hell. So they want to hang on to my emails for seven years. Let them. They're only trying to catch criminals here."

But there are two reasons why we should say no. Firstly, our fundamental liberties are at risk here.

You may not spend your weekends plotting the violent overthrow of the capitalist system, but that's no reason to give the government permission to rummage around through all your communications, any more than you'd want a Whitehall spy camera in the downstairs loo. It's your ebusiness, you should be able to do it in peace.

Worse still, we'll be the ones who'll have to pay for it. And it will be mind-blowingly expensive.

In George Orwell's 1984, everyone has a TV screen, with an "always-on" connection, in their flats to allow the government to watch their every move.

Orwell never paid much attention to the people behind the TV screen. How many people did they have to employ to watch the entire citizenry? Who monitored them? Who paid their salaries?

Things were bad enough for lead character Winston Smith, but at least he never got a bill for the 24-hour surveillance of his own living room.

Ultimately, you might have to pay for your surveillance through higher internet charges. It might come out of taxes. The government might sell the information to credit reference agencies to foot the bill - it wouldn't be the first time (check out the links we've provided).

So you may not mind your privacy being violated, but no one wants their wallet being squeezed.

So join silicon.com in saying: "This madness must stop".

And you at the back there! Stop yawning!