Brake: Government’s Facebook plans show obsession with hoarding personal data

11.24.00am GMT Wed 25th Mar 2009

Commenting on Government plans to monitor social networking sites such as Facebook, Tom Brake said: "This is yet more evidence of this Government’s obsession with hoarding vast amounts of people’s personal data."

"We need complete clarity from the Government over what data they will retain and how it will be kept secure.

"Will membership of Facebook groups or people listing ‘suspicious' interests be caught in their dragnet?

"We also need guarantees that the Home Secretary's ‘Dustbin Stasi' won't use terrorism legislation to access retained Facebook data for frivolous purposes, such as identifying people who let their dogs foul the pavement."