Those of us in the US have ample reason to despair of our legislators’ willingness to collude with the NSA in the evisceration of the Fourth Amendment. But at least our congress draws the line when it comes to spying on them. Sadly, the same is not true of our cousins in the UK.
Computer Weekly is reporting that MPs’ private emails are routinely accessed by GCHQ. Yet Parliament goes right on passing draconian surveillance bills. The MPs are even moving ahead with the Investigatory Powers Bill that would expand GCHQ’s abilities to snoop on UK citizens.
What does it take to make Parliament finally say enough is enough and rein in a clearly out of control GCHQ? The MPs are theoretically protected by the Wilson Doctrine, which says that MP communications are off limits without consent from the MP involved. However, a recent move to Microsoft Office 365 for Parliament’s email means that the email is often routed through Microsoft datacenters in Ireland or the Netherlands. Since that means the messages leave the UK’s borders, the GCHQ has felt free to scan MPs’ messages including those from constituents.
When the new system was being planned, there was some concern about this sort of thing happening. MPs were assured that while there might be some risk, it was low and acceptable. One’s tempted to say they deserve what they got except they don’t. MPs are the nation’s law makers and they certainly deserve to have their private communications remain private. Again, what will it take before they start insisting on that? What will it take before Britons, generally, insist on the same?