Edward Snowden slams the UK government’s DRIP tsunami

NSA WHISTLEBLOWER Edward Snowden is shocked by the fast-paced DRIP legislation in the UK parliament, and has criticised the UK government for reacting so dramatically so late.

We were only introduced to DRIP, the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act, late last week and the writing on the wall says that by the close of this week it will be in force for at least two years.

Opponents stepped forward quickly, and DRIP's detractors include the UK Pirate Party and Labour MP Tom Watson.

Edward Snowden, speaking to the Guardian newspaper, has joined the chorus of disapproval and expressed his shock at the fast moving act. DRIP "defies belief", he said, adding that it looks like it was dreamed up by the US National Security Agency (NSA).

"The NSA could have written this draft," he told the newspaper during an interview in Moscow. "They passed it under the same sort of emergency justification. They said we would be at risk. They said companies will no longer cooperate with us. We're losing valuable intelligence that puts the nation at risk."

The swift proposal, the 'emergency' justification, and the almost immediate adoption of DRIP do not impress Snowden, and he said that the UK government has turned away from the April findings of the European Court of Justice and, like others, he said that he would have preferred some informed debate.

"Is it really going to be so costly for us to take a few days to debate where the line should be drawn about the authority and what really serves the public interest?" he asked.

"If these surveillance authorities are so interested, so invasive, the courts are actually saying they violate fundamental rights, do we really want to authorise them on a new, increased and more intrusive scale without any public debate?"

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Edward Snowden slams the UK government’s DRIP tsunami