Emergency phone and internet data laws to be passed in UK

Emergency powers to ensure police and security services can continue to access phone and internet records are being rushed through UK Parliament. Prime Minister David Cameron has secured the backing of all three main parties for the highly unusual move. He said urgent action was needed to protect the public after the European Court of Justice struck down existing surveillance powers. But civil liberties campaigners have warned it will invade people's privacy. Cameron defended the move in a joint news conference with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, saying it was about maintaining existing capabilities - not introducing new snooping laws. An EU directive requiring phone and internet companies to retain communications data - when and who their customers called, texted and emailed but not what was said - for a 12-month period was ruled unlawful in April by the European Court. Without a new law being passed in the UK to retain the powers, Cameron claims that that information could be destroyed within weeks by companies fearing legal challenges, meaning police and the security services would not be able to access it. He also revealed that he wanted to ‘clarify’ the law on bugging of suspects' phones by the police and security services, after concerns that service providers were turning down requests from the home office, according to BBC.