ISPs scorn government net snoop plan

[rashlan]

Has anyone got an opinion on this
"LINX, a major internet peering cooperative, said in its submission to the Home Office's consultation on the Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP) - which closed last week - that moves to harvest data on every web browsing session, email, instant messenger conversation and VoIP call would not "maintain capability", as officials claim."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/03/linx_imp/ ? is it even feasible?

[Horace]

I have an opinion..it's a huge waste of money, IMP records who you made contact with on the internet, via the web, email, IM and other 3rd party applications such as gaming software. However, use of a simple £5 a month VPN makes the hundreds of millions of Pounds of equipment worthless since the only data they'll acquire on you is that you've connected to a VPN and nothing on what you connected to via the VPN.

Anyone who has anything to hide or objects to being tracked by the government will use a VPN or proxy. It's a bit like pointing a CCTV camera at a monastery to be honest.