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After weeks of conflicting reports, the draft Investigatory Powers Bill has been revealed.
It represents the UK government's attempt to update and tidy up the powers the authorities have to delve into the public's data to combat crime.
It is a huge document - but at its heart is the argument it is illogical officials can scan through itemised lists of the phone calls people make but not the websites and chat apps they use.
Chat apps including iMessage, Whatsapp and BBM Protected use end-to-end encryption
So, the bill proposes the authorities be given the right to retrospectively check people's "internet connection records" without having to obtain a warrant.
That means, for example, they would be allowed to learn someone had used Snapchat at 07:30 on their smartphone at home and then two hours later visited Facebook's website via their laptop at work.
It may sound fairly innocuous - but of course many people have internet habits that are legal but nevertheless very private. So, is their privacy being put at risk?
Record and wipe
To fully understand what is at stake, it is worth explaining how the authorities would access this information.
The government has previously said tech companies' adoption of the method is "alarming".
But it is hard to see how ministers could have made overseas companies comply with a ban.
One security expert suggested, however, that the authorities could work around the issue by persuading app-makers to comply on a case-by-case basis.
"Almost certainly the way in which the firms could co-operate would be to turn off the encryption and give people the illusion it is still taking place," said Prof Peter Sommer.
But he added that a simpler method would be to infect a suspect's devices with spyware.
"They can install a Trojan or something on your computer or smartphone remotely," he said.
"There was a lot in the leaked [former US National Security Agency contractor and whistleblower] Edward Snowden files that shows the NSA and GCHQ have programs that let them see a target's data 'in clear' or get them the encryption keys to enable them to disassemble their data in real time.
"Powers to hack suspects' computers are increasingly important - because encryption makes interception much more difficult.
"But entering someone's computer or mobile phone is incredibly intrusive and currently we have no code of practice to cover it."
A new code of practice covering such hacking activities is proposed as part of the bill.
"It is going to be costly and require a lot of equipment, but the big issue is that this is mass surveillance of the public," said Adrian Kennard, director of Andrews & Arnold, a Bracknell-based internet provider.
bbc.com :Source
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