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The Queen announces new Investigatory Powers Bill

In the 62nd Queen’s speech which took place 27 May 2015, the Monarch outlined the Investigatory Powers Bill that will strengthen security service and tackle criminal activities.

 The Bill is said to modernise the law on tracking communications data, which was agreed within government only this week. Police and intelligence agencies will be better equipped to combat serious crime with new surveillance techniques and ability to build evidence.

The Home Office says the Investigatory Powers Bill will “better equip law enforcement and intelligence agencies to meet their key operational requirements, and address the gap in these agencies’ ability to build intelligence and evidence where subjects of interest, suspects and vulnerable people have communicated online.”

Home Secretary Theresa May tried to introduce a similar bill, called the “snooper’s charter” by critics, which was blocked by former coalition partners the Liberal Democrats. The new legislation faces the same criticism as it will enable the tracking of everyone’s web and social media use. Nick Clegg, the former Deputy Prime Minister, led the charge against the new investigatory powers bill and warned that fundamental rights of British citizens were “threatened by a turbo-charged snooper’s charter”.

Ministers promise to provide for “appropriate oversight arrangements and safeguards”, but there is no immediate detail on how the complex web of intelligence and surveillance commissioners and parliamentary oversight might be strengthened.

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