UK - A row over the bugging of a MP has reignited debate about how far the country has gone towards becoming a "Big Brother" surveillance state.
The September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States and the July 2005 bombings in London have prompted the authorities to ramp up security measures to unprecedented levels.
But this has led to concerns about how much the authorities know and whether the information is safe in their hands -- particularly in light of a string of recent blunders.
In November it emerged that a government department had lost the personal details of 25 million people -- nearly half the population.
And on Sunday it was revealed that MP Sadiq Khan was bugged by anti-terror police when he visited Babar Ahmad in prison, one of his constituents and an Islamist terror suspect wanted in the United States.
Promising a swift inquiry into the Khan affair, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday surveillance was "necessary to defend our security, preserve our freedom and, in some cases, to save lives."
Britain already has 4.2 million CCTV cameras, more per head than any other country on Earth at one for every 14 people.
The government wants to bring in biometric identity cards and expand the DNA database, already the largest in the world, with 5.2 percent of the population -- around four million people -- on file.
Since 2004, everyone arrested in England and Wales for all but the most minor offences -- regardless of guilt -- has been logged on the database.
There are even talking CCTV cameras telling off people engaging in anti-social behavior including dropping litter. (more) (sing-a-long video)
