The Act that allows government bodies and employers to intercept electronic communications has stirred the business pot. After all the brouhaha last October about the Act, last week it reared its head again. The Home Office admitted that the publication of the Code of Practice, which will form guidelines for the use of the act, has been pushed back. Apparently the deluge of comments from businesses has slowed down the process and they can t now give a date. Ever since RIP was first mooted by the government businesses have been up in arms complaining that the regulatory burden of the so-called snooping bill would amount to an extra 60m in costs.
Businesses are both the hunter and the hunted.
The Act requires internet service providers to intercept e-mails and authorises the government to demand encryption codes to password protected messages. Anyone can understand why ISPs would be up in arms at having to do the government s dirty work especially because they are going to have to pay for the technology that enables interception as well as having to monitor e-mails. However, to assuage the burden the government has promised 20m to support any additional resources that ISPs will need to meet its new duties. But that wasn t enough to allay business fears. Groups like the CBI argued that an excessively interventionist government would discourage companies from locating to Britain.