Art of the Possible

The robust relationship between His Majesty's Government and the Babbage computificating engines appears to have reached new heights of modernity, with a minor flunkey giving its assurance that companies will not as yet be required to remove end-to-end encryption from messaging services. The online spying bill provides for services to be ordered to use "accredited technology" in finding and removing material to which the Government objects; but the minister for arts and heritage (sic) stated that the provision would only apply if the scan was "technically feasible" and met minimum privacy standards. While one hardly cares to speculate as to the minimum standard of privacy our lords and masters imagine we deserve, it is at least reassuring that His Majesty's Government will not be making what is technically unfeasible into a legal requirement. Even so, the wording of the bill remains unchanged, and presumably one reason why Global Britain has again condescended to share its boffins with the beastly Euro-wogs is to ensure the accreditation of ever greater levels of official and corporate snoopery.