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It was almost bound to happen. Snooping - there is no other word for it - of all our emails and communications. The The Age reports on a move in the UK to monitor all - yes all, emails, telephone calls and internet browsing - of everyone in the country.

"The British Government is considering a £12 billion ($A27.5 billion) plan to monitor the email, telephone and internet browsing records of every person in the country.

The huge eavesdropping program would involve the creation of a mammoth central computer database to store hundreds of billions of individual pieces of communications.

Supporters say it would become one of the security services' most comprehensive tools in the fight against terrorism, but critics described the proposal as "sinister".

Britain's internal security service, MI5, has to apply to the Home Secretary for warrants to intercept specific email and website traffic, but, under the new plan, internet and mobile phone networks could be monitored live by GCHQ, the Government listening post.

The Home Office said no decision had been taken, but security officials claim live monitoring is necessary to pick up terrorist plots.

It would allow them to capture records such as chatroom discussions on password-protected Islamic extremist websites."

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