FOR those who use the internet, whether it be for research, entertainment or just communicating with friends, the Government’s Communications Data Bill 2012, announced in the Queen’s Speech has implications for us all.

This dangerous measure will have a massive impact on our daily lives, giving unprecedented powers to the security services, the police and government officials, in allowing them access to our personal online communications. The usual reasons for this authoritarian measure are given – prevention of terrorism; national security; preventing disorder; public safety and protection of health, but internet snooping isn’t the answer.

This Act is about controlling the population and denying people their legitimate freedoms to communicate with whomever they want, whenever they want, without Big Brother invading their privacy.

As a Liberal Democrat, I oppose intrusions by the state into precious civil liberties. David Davis MP slammed the 2008 Terrorism Bill, saying the creation of a database state would “open up our private lives to the prying eyes of official snoopers and expose our personal data to careless civil servants and criminal hackers”. No warrant is needed from the courts for this illiberal measure and letters and postcards are not exempt either!

Say no to this Bill.

Carmel Townsend, St Julians Road, Newport