Google ‘not to be trusted’ with anti-terror database

Under the scheme, records of all private communications – including emails, text messages and traffic on sites like Facebook and Skype – will be kept by internet companies and service providers for at least a year.

The security services and the police have insisted that keeping records played a part in all of their counter-terrorism operations and almost every investigation into organised crime.

“Anyone who thinks that storing the information with the communication service providers, rather than in a big database, solves the problem, hasn’t been paying attention to what’s happening with Google.” Information Commissioner Christopher Graham

The Government has dropped plans to create a single, centralised database – and has now called for companies to keep details of their customers’ internet and telephone use.

‘Significant breach’

But the Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, has said that he does not want Google involved – after finding that it had been responsible for a “significant breach” of data protection rules by collecting personal information from users of its Street View service without telling them.

“Anyone who thinks that storing the information with the communication service providers, rather than in a big database, solves the problem, hasn’t been paying attention to what’s happening with Google”, he said.

Mr Graham has already raised his concerns about the principle of storing individuals’ personal data – insisting that the detection or prevention of crime was not in and of itself a justification. And the Home Office has promised that the Government will not have access to the contents of emails and phone calls – just the traffic details.

Last month’s National Security Strategy report promised to make sure that the rules governing the database complied with the Government’s approach to civil liberties: which, under the Coalition Agreement, pledges “to end the storage of internet and email records without good reason”.

As for Google, it has escaped a fine for breaching the Data Protection Act, after declaring itself “profoundly sorry”. The firm has agreed to improve staff training on privacy issues, audit its own privacy and security practices, and delete any data it has already collected.

The Information Commissioner, however, has warned that he could still take legal action against Google or impose a half million pound fine if it does not behave within the rules in future.