Theresa May to introduce plans for new internet snooping powers

Plans to match individual users with IP addresses to be put to MPs

Home Secretary Theresa May is to put measures before the Commons on Wednesday that will allow the police to obtain information that links IP addresses to individual users.

Under the proposed measures ISPs will be forced to retain more detailed information linking individual internet users with IP addresses and the police and intelligence authorities will be able to force them to release it on demand.

At present ISPs are not required to store information about which individuals have used a particular IP address, many of which are shared between multiple users. The Home Secretary's plan would change this by requiring them to keep more of the data that can track an individual's use of the internet for 12 months.

This, the government says, will make it possible for the authorities to identify people who have uploaded illegal material, or who have communicated with criminal suspects online.

Many will see this as an attempt to resurrect the Communications Data Bill or "snoopers' charter", which was vetoed last year by the Conservatives' coalition partners the Liberal Democrats on the grounds that it encroached too far on civil liberties.

The government has refused to give up on its plans to increase its powers of surveillance over the internet, mentioning plans for a replacement for the "snoopers' charter" in 2013's Queen's Speech. Indeed, as Computing reported in the summer, May has made no secret of her personal desire to reintroduce the plans.

"We will keep on making the case until we get the changes we need," said May in June.

"I know some people like the thought that the internet should become a libertarian paradise, but that will entail complete freedom not just for law-abiding people but for terrorists and criminals. I do not believe that is what the public wants."

However, it would appear that the new plans represent a watering down of the original draft Data Communications Bill, which also included measures to store phone calls and emails, and the announcement was welcomed by the Liberal Democrats.

A spokesman said: "The Liberal Democrats are in favour of action on IP address matching and have been since it was recommended by the joint committee that did the pre-legislative scrutiny on the Communications Data Bill. The committee said the proposals were the only part of that bill that did not reduce civil liberties.

"This is exactly the kind of thing that we need to take action on, rather than proposing an unnecessary, unworkable and disproportionate snoopers' charter."

However, privacy campaigners fear the new measures may be introduced without sufficient consultation or due process.

In a statement the director of Big Brother Watch, Emily Carr, said:

"It is perfectly reasonable that powers to provide the police with the ability to match an IP address to the person using that service is investigated.

"However, if such a power is required, then it should be subject to the widespread consultation and comprehensive scrutiny that has been sorely lacking to date with industry, civil society and the wider public when it comes to introducing new surveillance powers.

"Before setting her sights on reviving the snoopers' charter, the Home Secretary should address the fact that one of the biggest challenges facing the police is making use of the huge volume of data that is already available, including data from social media and internet companies. The snoopers' charter would not have addressed this, while diverting billions from investing in skills and training for the police," Carr said.