Civil liberties groups from across the world have joined together to launch a new International Campaign Against Mass Surveillance with the publication of a report warning of the danger to fundamental freedoms of current anti-terror policies. The report says that governments are using the "war on terror" to institute an unprecedented global system of surveillance of individuals.
The report says that government policies on the mandatory registration of biometric data on travel documents, retention of data by telecoms companies and tracking of air travel and cross-border movements goes beyond what is necessary for the detection of crime or terrorism.
The campaign is being led by the organisations Statewatch (UK), the American Civil Liberties Union, the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (Canada) and has the backing of 100 civil liberties groups and NGOs worldwide.
