ISPs unhappy with data proposals

The Home Office wants ISPs to collect data

Internet Service Providers (ISP) have strongly objected to a government plan to force them to collect and organise communications data.

In a response to a government consultation on the issue seen by the Financial Times the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) expressed "serious concerns about the operational burden the proposals would place on companies."

A paper written by LSE academics earlier this year says that forcing ISPs to collect and organise the information at a time when they are already under pressure to continue rollout of super fast broadband to parts of the population is unrealistic.

Police chiefs have told government that they need information in an organised form to be able to use it properly.

Last summer the government introduced plans for a database of all communications, but then backed down after fierce opposition from campaigners and parts of the media.

Now it says it is pressing ahead with the compromise of forcing ISPs to organise data themselves, but the legislation will not be introduced before the next parliament.

The government has set aside £2bn for the system, but the association said this "underestimated the true cost to government, law enforcement and industry. "

It added that there were "serious questions" about whether the new approach was technically possible, according to the Financial Times.