Public pays $12 million to be spied on

The cost of allowing police and spies to intercept all types of phone calls and emails has rocketed from $3 million to $12 million.

The Telecommunications (Interception Capability) Bill, approved by a parliamentary select committee last week, would let authorities intercept and record every type of public communication going through all networks and internet providers.

When the proposal was originally announced, Associate Justice Minister Paul Swain said it would cost taxpayers $3 million to enable all public telecommunications networks to be interception-capable for law enforcement and security purposes.

This was necessary because police could not tap into the Vodafone network and they warned that their ability to combat organised crime was being "seriously eroded" because of that.

The changes were proposed before the September 11 attacks in 2001, but were given more urgency by the Government as it followed the United States' lead on tough new security measures.

The select committee examining the bill said the law change would now cost taxpayers about $12 million over five years because the Government had agreed to foot the bill to install the technology.

The scope of the proposed law has worried civil libertarians, who fear the Government is using national security as an excuse to intrude on public freedom.

Police figures show 28 people were convicted last year due to interception warrants being issued, and a further 122 people were still being prosecuted, the Sunday Star-Times reported.

- NZPA