Data policy rethink

Home Secretary David Blunkett is planning emergency legislation which may force internet service providers (ISPs) to store email and traffic data for use in criminal inquiries.

The UK has resisted introducing data retention laws, but the terrorist attacks on the US have forced a rethink.

A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed that the policy is under review, but would not say whether it would be mandatory or voluntary.

Talks with bodies such as the Internet Service Provider Association (Ispa) and the London Internet Exchange (Linx) have already taken place.

In December last year, the National Criminal Intelligence Service called for ISPs to record and store details of all telephone, email and internet traffic for seven years to help crime detection.

The idea contradicted European policy on data protection and was met with scepticism by the industry, and there are still significant stumbling blocks.

"We need to get more clarity from law enforcement agencies on what we could log, and we need to discuss how long to keep it and how much it will cost," said Roland Perry, director of public policy at Linx.

Tim Snape, managing director at West Dorset Internet and UK Ispa member, says ISPs are generally supportive of voluntary procedures where traffic data is kept for between 60 and 90 days.

But he says the industry will resist attempts to mandate storage of traffic data for any period.

"It will not deliver the benefits that law enforcement agencies say it will. Any competent technician can bypass logging procedures."