Minister signals U-turn over RIP costs

The UK government is considering moves to calm the fears of internet service providers (ISPs) over the potential cost of meeting the requirements of its new electronic bugging legislation.

In detailed Commons committee debates last week, junior justice minister Jane Kennedy signalled a prospective government U-turn on the forthcoming Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) Bill.

The proposed legislation will require ISPs to provide facilities to intercept emails - or future electronic communication formats - for surveillance organisations such as the police.

"If we have not made it clear that the government will meet marginal costs, it may be possible to include a provision to that effect in the Bill," Kennedy told MPs.

The undertaking represents a huge step away from the Home Office's earlier stance that ISPs must follow the precedent set by the telecoms industry. This obliged the industry to cover the cost of intercepting telephone calls.

The "marginal cost" the government may cover could mean that MI5 and the police will pay for the cost of intercepting emails, but not for the capital costs of the necessary equipment.

A confidential Home Office document has already been circulated to MPs detailing the likely costs ISPs will face in meeting the Bill's requirements.

This story was republished from the 6 April issue of Computing