I am really afraid of this. My only hope is that a new generation of politician actually know what this is all about. This "remote search" has nearly nothing to do with the internet, it is not about what you do in the world wide web, it is the state secretely sneaking around your living room.

Anton, London,

Look, fact is, the police haven't got the man power, nor the intelligence to pull this off, I'm not scared of the fact they have this power, hell if they can break into my computer, I'll give them an award of some sort. I'm outraged that they have been given it...

Gage , Leicester, England

The thing id be most concerned about this would be if they planted dodgy content on your computer and arrested you! And there is nothing you can do about it! Its all very scary stuff! This is infringment of privacy is getting worse and worse! Something needs to be done to stop this madness!

Matt, Ashford, UK

Yet another reason to move away from Windows. They'd get a cookie if they could break into my Linux desktop.

Ryan, Phoenix, USA

Liberty is weak sauce. Join the libertarian party instead and get rid of this insane government once and for all.

Ben Thompson, Nottingham, UK

does this mean that anti virus applications will be designed not to prevent legal viruses from here on in? I can see a design flaw in this anti privacy model

Tim Isted, Hampshire, UK

This is totally and utterly wrong on all accounts. I don't want to move out of England but I don't like it here anymore :-(

Stewart, York, England

Instead of just whining, what you should ALL do is join the human rights organisation Liberty and give it a membership count that rivals or even surpasses that of any political party. Shami Chakrabarti has been a superb director of this organisation and we should give her our support in her efforts.

Alan, Oxford, England

Thank god for WPA2-Enterprise and Linux based desktops, laptops, and servers.

Andrew Hailes, Bristol, England

It almost looks like an April fool, doesn't it? Deeply shocking but completely unsurprising. Thank the gods of freedom I am exiting this country fast.

Ben Robinson, Brighton, England

The problem with these methods is that they compromise the individuals computer security, allowing not only the police but later hacker access as well.
Once security is disabled in this manner, the machines may be used to send spam, house pornography, or participate in denial of service attacks.

Sandy Shields, Newark, NJ, USA

Wow, what a breach of privacy...

Ross, Brighton,

i wonder, of the "194 clandestine searches last year of people’s homes, offices and hotel bedrooms", how many resulted in arrests? of those, how many convictions? how many embarrassed 'we're sorry, we thought that looked like evidence of a crime'?

Paul Shields, Toronto, Canada

I'd be fine with this if a warant was required it should just be added to the powers a warant grants

Edward Smith, Birkenhead, UK

No boycotting necessary. As has been previously noted this has been going on for a it is still only as 'smart' as those who design it and Big Mummy may find hackers and gurus galore will redefine who is watching whom in the future.

M. D. Johnson, Annapolis, MD, USA

Very few people seem to know that Windows systems already had a 'back door' built-in that allows access for Big Brother.

Can easily turn on the cam & mike in your laptop (and in your mobile, by the way, whether turned on or off!).

All part of the planned fascist-tech new world.
See infowars.com

Sean, Dublin, Ireland

another example of the government attempting to erode our civil liberties under the guise of protecting us.

Eric is very true, if we are not willing to stand up and fight for our freedoms, then we never deserved them in the first place.

Martin, London, United Kingdom

The threat increase is rather small considering how many already try to gain access to my data. Maybe it makes a few more people aware of the problem. The real issue, however, is that now I do not only distrust the state, but have to protect myself against it without having done anything wrong.

Frank, Cardiff, UK

Boycott the internet. It is the only answer.

Dave, Jacksonville,

As stated in the article, they have had this access since the 90's.....don't think that they haven't been using it since, without your knowledge. When it makes it to the news, it's old news.

candidly, home, canada

This law give the police a way to bypass the red tape when needed. The time they save could save lives of innocent people so while I dont like it I would never oppose it. Also, the government already has backdoors into all the major ISP's so if they really want to listen in they will.

Steve, Bridgewater, MA

I wouldn`t worry, the kind of technical nous required to externally hack a properly secured home network at volume (i.e. one with a proper firewall and if wireless - encryption) comes at a very big price and I doubt the government have the money to hire that kind of knowledge.

Andy, Here, UK

A router will pretty much block anything comming in by default.

The biggest threat of someone seeing your files would be if you get infected with malware/trojan software. Install the latest microsoft patches, use antivirus/antispyware software.
Use Firefox as opposed to Internet Explorer.

Richard, Farnborough,

No amount of "perceived" safety is worth personal violation.

I know this is happening in Europe, but I think Benjamin Franklin's most famous quote really applies here.

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Eric, Buffalo - New York, USA

@ Steve who rolls out the old cliche: 'If you are not breaking the law you have noting to fear.'

Assuming that if you want to keep something private then it must be illegal.

You would be perfectly happy then if they had anonymous access to all your teenage daughter's emails and online browsing?

Matt, London, England

The best counter measures would be required to repell the best intrusions; so if the Police had a specialised taskforce with customised kit, you would no longer be able to grab something off the bargin shelf and expect it to keep them out. But real tech savy criminals may be able to- so purpose is?

Nigel, Melbourne, Australia

If you use a Mac, there is a built in firewall which can be tightened up, and Windows users would have to install software.
You are venerable if you use a wireless network. avoid opening unknown email attachments, And don't let anyone "insert" anything into your computer. I hope this helps...

Ray, London, United Kingdom.

David Davies was right. This country is fast becomeing a police state, if it hasn't already become so. We no longer have the freedom speech we once had and now the police can just walk in and rifle through our IT files at will. What next? Quiet abductions in the middle of the night. Terrifying!

John, Chichester, United Kingdom

Well said Mark, Set your firewall, unplug/switch off when not in use, set up internal logging to see what is happening and encrypt your important and private files. Make your root password at least 13 chars long and use upper/lower case numerals and punctuation.

Ric, bristol,

Learn to Love Big Brother

Dave Allison, Inverness, Scotland

This is ridiculous. What happened to the right to privacy?

Alex, Fleet, Hampshire

Like id cards, if we have a benign govt, and all the people who process the data are trustworthy, only the criminals etc. should fear this.
However trustworthy people and benign governments are not a given. I have credit card information stored on my PC, and many police are too close to criminals

richard williams, weybridge, uk

Another method for them to gain access is via your internet router (which is usually provided by the ISP). Many of these routers have "back doors" known to the ISP to allow them to gain access to your home network. Does this EU edict force ISPs to grant this access to govt agencies?

Patrick Cain, London, UK

This is an unbelievably terrifying development. The police - without warrant - can access computers without the consent of the owner? Damien Green was arrested without warrant on a political motive (apparently). Are MPs computers being hacked just in case they disagree with Labour political policy?

Simon, Bath, UK

Average plod and average Joe when told X runs Linux will usually ask "what kind of Windows is that?" This keylogger they will break in to install is it for Windows, or Linux, hardware or software? Will they use RIPA to demand your Linux root password to install the keylogger? they are the enemy.

Rob, Colwyn Bay, UK

To Steve, Epsom, UK,

Whilst you yourself may have nothing to hide, if your computer has unknowingly been hacked and is relaying 'dodgy' material you are going to have a hard time explaining that to the Police.

Dave, Walsall, UK

It is time the British rose up and took to the streets to smash the evil this goverment represents. Also time you left forever the
unaccountable and fascist EEC. Useless to create so called safeguards. You won't even know when they are snooping..Revolution or a general strike is the answer.

peter carlyle-gordge, Winnipeg, Canada

To Peter C:
"can they get through my firewall without my noticing?Or am I being naive?"
It depends on your firewall, and its settings.

Also the article says, "the authorities could break into a suspect’s home or office and insert a “key-logging” device into an individual’s computer."

Philippa, Newcastle, UK

I'm truly stunned. This makes the odious "Patriot Act" we have on this side of the pond look benign by comparison. It's not that there's a potential for abuse, it's that the very EXISTENCE of such a program IS abuse in and of itself.

Cal, New York, USA

This is really giving the authorities a license to do whatever they like, and they can never be held accountable for any abuse of the power it will give them.
It worries me that other governments (like Australia) will try to pick up on this and implement it as well.

Mike, Melbourne, Australia

It's not that these powers WILL be misused, it's that it's a step towards our internet privacy being invaded.
It's one step towards a big brother scenario.

Sam, Coventry,

I guess I'm going low tech this new year. Remember when we British were a privacy loving moderate democracy? And we all need to be afraid of having to prove ourselves innocent.

Cate, Sheffield,

Why are people over reacting? It's a good power for the police to have....it won't be misused...authorisation wouldnt be granted for 'silly' crimes. It is regulated!!

John, Luton, Beds

And George Orwell's prophetic book finally achieves it's place as fact. This is a disgraceful move against privacy. It is now high time I left this country/prison and took my talents elsewhere.

Deej, Manchester,

The USSR is dead!
Long live the EUSR!

Prontohirta, Youghal, Ireland

Another excuse to snoop on people without justification. If a warrant is issued then at least there is a paper trail leading back to who applied for the warrant any why. If this law goes through then it will be a free-for-all and history has demonstrated very well what happens then.

Michael Daly, Leeds, UK

What is there to worry about? If you are not breaking the law you have noting to fear. Let them get on and prevent terrorism and drug dealing I say.

Steve, Epsom, UK

Who would have thought George Orwell would have had it so damn right.

It's truelly shocking how little say the public have when it comes to insane decisions like this.

I still can't /b/elieve this.

Ant, Berwick, England

Day by day we slip further and further into a police state.

Jessard, Biggleswade, United Kingdom

The way anti-terrorist laws have been used inappropriately by local councils, how can we expect these new powers not to be abused? The government and the police couldn't be trusted to organise a party in a brewery.

Martin, Maidenhead, UK

I doubt if your average plod could hack into a cushion let alone a computer most of the ones I know(all thoroughly decent chaps) have no knowledge of computers at all, any more than most of us do

peter c, Devizes, Wessex

"A pensioner involved in a row about a parking space collapsed and died ... of a revenge attack after his alleged killers used a policeman to trace his address."

So what if a PC's mate wants your email searched for messages from his wife? Or details of your bank account? "Just for a laugh"?

Philippa, Newcastle, UK

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

This site has some good advice about safe (and private) computing. http://www.getsafeonline.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1494

Not that I'm comparing the police to credit card stealing Russian maffia hackers ;)

Also, avoid BT as they spy on their customers.

Tim, Edinburgh,

can they get through my firewall without my noticing?Or am I being naive?

peter c, Devizes, Wessex

Will they be using these powers to check that I'm putting the correct rubbish in my bins and that I'm not employing underage newspaper delivery boys?
They're using anti-terrorism laws for those so what's one more invasion of privacy on the way to a totalitarian state?

Dave, Kettering,

So the EU which tells the UK off for retaining innocent DNA ,and which also warns about the impending national database, has already given the green light for warrant-less police access to personal information.

Personal freedoms have vanished.

Richard, Oxford, UK

Imagine the police being allowed to enter and search any home without a warrant not because they suspected a crime but to see if anyone had broken any laws worthy of investigation. This gives them pretty much just that.

David Thompson, Driffield, UK

How long before this surveillance facility is extended to Local Authorities and all those others who already use CCTV cameras to record your every step ?

And how long before it is handed over to a commercial company to run so that their employee, Nelly-next-door, has access to YOUR "private" life ?

Bill, watford,

The police often get things wrong through mistaken identity. They made a huge mistake which had fatal consequences for Mr DeMenezes. What if they are hacking into innocent people's computers, believing them to be terrorists or criminals. Why have the government meekly accepted this EU ruling?

Ed, London, UK

This has been going on forever by the Echelon states, what is new is that any European police force can now get access to your data.
Chris, how do you know none have got past your second layer of security?
Callum, you are wrong. Encrypt your hard drive and your emails or consider your PC publically available.
3 Tips: IPCop, TrueCrypt, PGP - plus, when you are finished with a drive then smelt it.

Danny Prior, Forth, Scotland

"The Home Office said it was working with other EU states to develop details of the proposals."

Develop? So this is not yet the end?
It is of freedom.
My privacy is my property to give up as I see fit, not for some gov't to strip me of without let nor leave.

Enough already.

Tom Taylor-Duxbury, Ludlow, UK

Hmm..... Firewall & password on router, firewall monitoring activity on PC, files held on password protected external drive, all switched off at wall when not in use.

Sounds like the police will need to employ a few IT experts, pity they are all busy over-running other IT budgets & deadlines.

Kat, Lincs, UK

It would be very difficult to hack into a personal computer due to the layers of encryption that prevent others from doing it. However there are people out their that don't encrypt their broadband connections which makes the job easier. The only real information that can be gained is through the ISP

Nev, Frodsham, UK

it would be more interesting to know if pc security companies such as norton, mcaffee etc colluded with the police in order to allow easy access into supposed "future" criminals computers. anyone got the low down on that?!

chris, london, uk

It sounds like Gordon has been listening to Nixon's statement that 'When the President does something it isn't illegal' ... he'll probably quote something similar when the banks go pop too ... damn i should have written this in the library - there onto me now !!!

Ryan, Lincoln, UK

To "Nirumala, kuala Lumpur, malaysia" ; to say it's no big deal because you have nothing to hide shows your ignorance of history or your immaturity as a free human. Ever heard of a police state? Ever hear of places like China, Russia, El Salvador actually anywhere there was violations of rights?

ross james, Vancouver, Canada

Will this mean the end for Wireless and Bluetooth ? ?

Tony, derby, UK

I'm thinking about going back to the paper and pencil days of my childhood. I feel the inter-net is over rated; it is good for celebrity gossip but not much else. That would save me from unwarrented searchs and get me off the "upgrade treadmill" that cost money for little results.

Craig Thomas, Oshkosh, USA

Will they be required to wear Jackboots whilst hacking ?

Tony, derby,

I came to live in this country for the freedom and privacy we enjoy. I hope I did not leave my country all these years ago for nothing.

s sadek, Taunton, UK

Nirumala - you may have nothing to hide from the present government, but what about the future? I'm sure the Jews in Europe could have said that before Hitler came to power. Or the intellectuals in Cambodia before Pol Pot. Or those who died because of Chairman Mao. Etc.

Nothing to hide - for now.

Baz, London, UK

“These are very intrusive powers – as intrusive as someone busting down your door and coming into your home.” And the police can do this without a warrant? I think this is called a police state, and let's stop messing with any pretence as to otherwise. Time for RIPA and this Government to go.

Kevin, London,

The bad guys have already won

dee, wales, uk

This steady erosion of our privacy really concerns me - as does the inane " if you have nothing to hide" argument. Who is to say that a future Government wouldn't deem it a crime to disagree or be critical of their policies, by which time eavsdropping would be the norm rather than the exception.

Jim Scott, Prestwick, Scotland

Nothing surprises me anymore. Don't the government realise that giving the politicised police & unaccountable security services ever more power further & takes us ever closer to a total surveillance state? It also alienates an already mistrustful public further & further.

Michael, Bury , UK

glad my bank accounts already empty.

max, bedford,

TOO FAR. Who justifys this? Who decides if they are 'permitted' to hack into a computer?

George, Warrington, Great Britain

If it's okay for the law to break the law
im going to put the law in the law
you so can law when your in the law.

/b/lackhats

bee, Hitchin, Hertfordshire

Hacking is illegal until the Police decide to do it.

Hypocrites, do as say, not do as I do.

In Russia, people hated the KGB because of all their spying activities. Is this any different? I think not.

Graham, St. Albans, uk

It does not matter how much we protest, big brother will relentlessly intrude into our lives. My next computer will have an Ubuntu operating system which is un-hackable, so goodbye to Mr Gates and your useless Vista operating system.

Michael, Taunton,

I mean if the police want to try to break in to my network they can try but "black hats" (a term to describe illegal hackers) have been trying to penetrate my network for ages but none have got past my second layer of security.

Chris Wood, London,

This is retrospective legislation to normalise what has been practised for years, not against criminals, but against anyone arbitrarily deemed to be a threat to the government by virtue of the disclosure of institutionalised government corruption.

martin, sheffield, yuk

Nirum, maybe its because you're from bloody malaysia it doesn't matter to you. From where I'm sitting it's yet another step too far, the latest in a series of intrusions into our civil liberties.
I'd like to see them hack my computer though...

John, Bristol, England

All your information written here today has been duly recorded, and will be used against you.
FACT

g,gordon, portimao, portugal

"The strategy will allow French, German and other EU forces to ask British officers to hack into someone’s UK computer and pass over any material gleaned."

So UK police will act as spies for foreign powers, spying on UK citizens?

Simon, Brentwood, UK

Nirumala .. you say that you are willing to sacrifice a bit of your liberty if your country would be safe from terrorists and criminals .. what if the biggest terrorists and criminals were the people that are running your country and invading your privacy ? Protect your liberty ..

Steven, Leeds, UK

I don't understand. What is the point of having warrants at all, if they are being given the right to invade privacy because an officer "believes" it necessary? Is it a matter of time before they have the right to enter our homes when they want? I think we need a referendum on a few current policies

Hans, London,

I am curious to see if they can compromise a default Linux install, such as Ubuntu, and can almost definitely say they won't ever be able to break into a stage1 self-compiled Gentoo Linux install.

Callum, Thurso, Scotland

If Mr Plod can read files on a hard drive he can also put info into the files. This government is completely untrustworthy and would certainly consider loading a hard drive if it helped them stay in power.

perc, london, uk

Remote access to a hard drive is a concern. By implication it is possible to infect a drive with spurious information. The temptation is similar to that involving the misuse of DNA, the ability to create false evidence that appears incontrovertible. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Douglas Miller, Fulham,

This country is as bent as a nine bob note.

Robert, Hull, UK

It's actually impossible to scan someone's harddrive from over the internet unless either 1) there is a flaw/bug in their operating system that allows others to gain entry, or 2) they have software installed on their system which is set up to allow others to access their files.

Jonathan Ville, Oxford, England

As the article states, the law was changed in 1994 to give the UK police the power to do this kind of warrantless, clandestine searching.

So it was not the nasty EU (who are just catching up) nor the control freak Nu Labour government who decided the police could do this. It was that nice Mr Major.

Harvey, Banbury,

Didn't the Irish vote of "NO" to the Lisbon Treaty in June last year put the viability of the EU in serious doubt according to many political commentators.

Now they are passing laws to allow covert monitoring of your private life.

John, Singapore,

This is what NuLabour and the EU are all about.

alexei, forres, uk

I am interested to know how they are going to do this even if they are legally entitled to do so. Linux systems are impervious to the kinds of approach they are talking about and the Police I met trying to deal with computer data hadn't even heard of it.

Easy solution. Unplug network when not used

JW, notts, UK

A senior police technician many years ago told me the police could 'set anyone up' by installing compromising data on their PC or mobile phone- child porn, fake criminal/ terrorist evidence. Now it's confirmed such evidence should not be admissible in court, and past convictions must be reviewed.

John Bayldon, Harrogate, UK

Nirumala. And their in lies the problem. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Fathers of The Constitution of The United States (arguably the finest document ever written by man) said “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

John W. Tobin, Newcastle, Washington Rebublic, United States

@Nirumala - There is a fine line between safety and privacy. Having nothing to hide in a free country without oppression or government discrimination is easier to understand. Defending your right to privacy is as important as defending your right to freedom.

Rstanley, Phoenix,

Any time you give up something to a government you lose more than you gave up. If you give up one Liberty or Right, they take two. Our government was created BY We The People to Protect what We The People consider are our Natural or God given Rights, not take them away.

John W. Tobin, Newcastle, Washington Rebublic, United States

So you mean that in order to track possible bad guys we have to surrender our rights and freedom? In other words, you are telling me that if we don't surrender them you can't catch them?

Seems they have already won then. They have stripped us of our freedom without doing anything yet. Congrats.

John, Madrid, Spain

Oh god, this is a very worrying development. Where is the public debate about this? The 'If you've got nothing to hide' argument is truly scary. If people buy into that way of thinking, you can waive goodbye to the notion of 'privacy' in any meaningful sense. This has to stop.

Paul Holdsworth, UK,

WPA/WPA2 is virtually uncrackable for PC Plod trying to wardrive outside your home. Shutting off all non-essential Windows services is a must, as is getting a good firewall (Windows Firewall doesnt stop certain services phoning home!). Don't use the preview pane in Outlook for emails! Stay sharp!

Chris Lowe, Norfolk, UK

This is stupid. Anyone that thinks this action is OK because "they have nothing to hide" lacks a basic understanding of history.

Bob Qwerty, US, USA

“These are very intrusive powers – as intrusive as someone busting down your door and coming into your home,”

Which begs the question of how exactly are computers going to be compromised without physical breaking and entering, which would be illegal without a warrant?

Dave, Manchester, UK

I find this totally outrageous - who is playing God now? I completely agree with Shami Chakrabarti - we are becoming a totalitarian state and this is not why we have an elected Parliament. I personally have nothing to hide but strongly object to this move.

Sue Shaw, Morpeth, UK

This is a step too far; the EU and Labour are out of control. No amount of perceived safety is worth this much personal violation. The assertion that "such intrusive surveillance was closely regulated…", is worthless statement, we are only too aware of the RIPA misuse by local authorities.

Les, Southport, England

What utter drivel. Modern day police in the UK can barely manage more than handing out fixed penalty notices. They're not interested if you're burgled or assaulted and yet these idiots will supposedly be able to hack into your PC? I don't think so. Dodgey email? Delete it. Wi-fi? Use WPA2. Linux?

Mark, London, UK

Police state of Europe. How long before we are all scared of the midnight knock at the door? So much for personal freedom and pricvacy laws.

Robert, Hartlepool, Cleveland

I am willing to sacrifice a bit of my liberty if my country would be safe from terrorists and criminals. I dont understand why people should feel so attacked by these sort of things. Its for their own good. Or maybe I am just not as passionate because i have nothing to hide.

Nirumala, kuala Lumpur, malaysia

"Have my say" - what, and have PC Plod all over me like a rash for disagreeing with this disgusting new development?

Are you mad?

Jonathan Peden, Birmingham, England