Snooper’s Charter: Majority of public unaware of government online surveillance

'The public and parliamentary debate about the Investigatory Powers Act was overshadowed by Brexit'

59 per cent said they would not consent to the government monitoring their digital activities (Getty Images)

The majority of people in the UK are unaware of just how closely the government can monitor their online activities, a new report claims.

76 per cent of Brits are “completely unaware” of the highly controversial Investigatory Powers Act – also known as the Snooper’s Charter – which allows the government to see everything we do online, according to virtual private network comparison site BestVPN.com.

23 per cent were unable to name any of the 48 government bodies that have access to their full browsing history.

These include the police and the secret service, as well as the Department of Health, HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and even the Food Standards Agency.

33 per cent of respondents thought the government had no power to monitor online activities, and 59 per cent said they wouldn’t consent to the government or third parties viewing and monitoring their digital activities.

However, 63 per cent of the 2,000 adults involved the the study, which was conducted in April, said they would only agree to being monitored in order to prevent criminal activity or a potential terrorist threat.

“The public and parliamentary debate about the Investigatory Powers Act was overshadowed by Brexit so it is perhaps unsurprising that many people are not aware of the Government’s extreme surveillance powers,” Jim Killock, the executive director of Open Rights Group, told The Independent.

“This has not been helped by the Home Office who recently carried out a ‘secret consultation’ into policies that could affect our privacy and security.

“The British public need to be made aware that the UK government has extensive powers to monitor their online activity en masse without any prior suspicion.”

Civil liberties group Liberty described the introduction of the measures as a “beacon for despots everywhere”.

Theresa May is also planning to regulate the internet, allowing the government to decide what web users can post, share and publish online.

“The Snooper’s Charter recently passed without fuss from the public,” said Douglas Crawford, digital privacy expert at BestVPN.com.

“Now British intelligence agencies and law enforcement organisations have the power to survey data and digital communications, and online security experts have determined the government now has the ability to spy on us at any time.

“It’s clear the British public has a long way to go in order to become fully informed about the realities of online monitoring. Taking steps to ensure personal privacy is censored should be the first port of call.”