Unaccountable judges must not have the final say over surveillance

SIR – On no account should judges be empowered to authorise police access to our private internet activity data (“Watchdog at odds with plans for spy powers”, report, November 1).

The last thing I would feel comfortable with would be for a judge – whose last action might well have been to frustrate the country’s will to deport terrorists, or to elevate the human rights of hate preachers above the concerns of the British public and of the Government – to be trusted with such power.

If I am to be put under surveillance then I want the highest authority in the land to authorise it and to answer to me at the ballot box.

John Penketh

Hayling Island, Hampshire

SIR – I am wary of allowing judges any say on issues relating to terrorism and national security.

They are unelected and accountable to nobody.

Hugh Jones

Cardiff

SIR – You cast doubt on the necessity of judicial oversight of intelligence gathering (leading article, November 1).

In 2009, New Labour held a public consultation called “Protecting the public in a changing communications environment”. The proposals were just the same – mass-snooping on all our data. I obtained copies of all the submissions to this consultation via the Freedom of Information Act.

T-Mobile (UK) said that, while its parent company in Germany celebrated the “20th anniversary of the demise of equivalent systems established by the Stasi in the federal states of the former East Germany”, similar “surveillance functionality” was being proposed by the British Government.

Targeted surveillance in the face of threats is clearly essential and could be swiftly authorised by judicial warrant. Giving the security services warrantless access to snoop on our communications, however, is a step too far.

Tristram C Llewellyn Jones

Ramsey, Isle of Man

SIR – Whose browsing history is so precious that they would rather be at risk of a terrorist attack than allow the Government access to it?

Harry Fuchs

Flecknoe, Warwickshire

SIR – For £4 a month I can use a virtual private network and bypass the collecting of my internet history data. Many people use this technology to work from home or watch the BBC or Netflix from abroad and it requires no technical skill.

Alternatively, I could go to an internet café to communicate with any person I like while remaining untraceable.

The Snooper’s Charter will cost millions of pounds to implement. Only a tiny percentage of internet searches are nefarious and millions more can be deeply private – such as searches for advice about illnesses or legal issues. This legislation will not catch the people for whom it is intended.

James Davitt

London EC1