Back at the end of 2007, Privacy International published this map of world surveillance societies. The full report is here. Each country is rated on a number of categories, and the results pooled to give an overall rating. The dear old United Kingdom doesn't come out of the analysis too well.
Click on the map for a larger version
The report's summary of the UK's activity-
- World leading surveillance schemes
- Lack of accountability and data breach disclosure law
- Commissioner has few powers
- Interception of communications is authorised by politician, evidence not used in court, and oversight is by commissioner who reports only once a year upon reviewing a subset of applications
- Hundreds of thousands of requests from government agencies to telecommunications providers for traffic data
- Data retention scheme took a significant step forward with the quiet changes based on EU law
- Plans are emerging regarding surveillance of communications networks for the protection of copyrighted content
- Despite data breaches, 'joined-up government' initiatives continue
- Identity scheme still planned to be the most invasive in the world, highly centralised and biometrics-driven; plan to issue all foreigners with cards in 2008 are continuing
- E-borders plans include increased data collection on travellers
With upcoming Government plans to record all our communications, this situation will presumably only get worse.