What seems to have taken most people by surprise however is the emphasis on new powers, which rightfully caused a backlash from six of the biggest American technology firms, including Microsoft, Apple and Google. The bill specifies that internet and phone companies will have to keep the records of every phone call made and every website visited by its users for a year. A range of government agencies could then, at any time, have access to these communications – in some cases, without need for a warrant. To add insult to injury, the law also enables government agencies and institutions to hack into computers, phones and networks, and to force digital companies to create a backdoor to their encrypted messaging services (this time with the prerequisite of gaining a warrant).

  around the world, world news