Investigate this Bill, again

THE UK government's Draft Investigatory Powers Bill has attracted quite a lot of attention, not least due to deep-pocketed internet service provider corporations spending money to complain that it would force them to spend money.

The Bill of course has much wider implications for privacy and freedom of expression - in particular, from journalists' point of view, vagueness in drafting leading to threats to the protection of confidential sources - despite the safeguards that we reported in the January Freelance (www.londonfreelance.org/fl/1512ipb.html).

On 2 February the NUJ's full submission on the Draft Bill was published at www.nuj.org.uk/documents/nuj-submission-to-theparliamentary-joint-committee-on-the/ - read it if you care about media freedom. The Parliamentary Committee tasked with looking at the Bill was required to report by 11 February. Watch this space (at www.londonfreelance.org/fl/1603ipb.html) for updates.