The increase in scrutiny and reduction in powers for
security agencies has to a considerable extent been triggered

the revelations of the former National Security agency
4 whistle-blower Edward Snowden

these disclosures,
along with other leaks from organizations such as WikiLeaks,
have shed light on a series of illegal practices adopted by
7 intelligence agencies in many countries,

in particular the USA,
Germany and the UK.

his has led to an unprecedented shift in the nature of
10 intelligence legislation in many parts of the world, with security
services witnessing a reduction in their powers for the first time
in the post-9/11 era,

defined by the West’s commitment to the
13 war on terror.
However, despite claims that the agencies are working
in the interest of national security,

critics counter that
16 overbearing surveillance practices erode and restrict many civil
liberties. In spite of the introduction of restrictions in the USA
and Germany,

Great Britain appears to be heading in the
19 opposite direction when it comes to surveillance policy, with
the UK’s Conservative government putting forward plans to
grant spy agencies yet more powers to deal with threats to
22 national security.

The British government has outlined its highly
controversial plan to introduce the Investigatory Powers Bill,
25 which would grant agencies not only more power but also
allow them to force Internet companies to log and track users’
web history for up to a year to allow for the police and security
28 services access.

It is thought the plan would also compel
companies to collect and hold data on mobile phone
applications like WhatsApp and Snapchat.