The BCC report, presented to the House of Lords Monday, says the RIP Bill will force companies to leave Britain costing billions in lost e-commerce revenue over the next five years.
Straw dismisses the claims.
Even the year by year estimates are literally incredible. The Bill is intended to help the police fight Internet crime. It proposes to give authorities powers to monitor Internet traffic and demand keys to encrypted data with a ministerial warrant. Straw not only says that the costs have been hugely exaggerated but also accuses the report of factual inaccuracy. The Government Technical Assistance Centre will handle material intercepted under warrant.