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Documents relating to revised 'Snooper's Charter' have just been published

Mar 1, 2016, 19:34 IST

British Home Secretary Theresa May receives a tour of HMS Bulwark during the Valletta Summit on migration on November 11, 2015 in Valletta, Malta. The Summit will bring together representatives from the European Union and African countries to address the challenges and opportunities of the largest migration of people to Europe since World War II.Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images

The British Government introduced the revised Investigatory Powers Bill Tuesday, amid fears the controversial spying bill is being rushed through Parliament.

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The bill explicitly grants police the power to hack into phones, and give them access to Brits' internet history.

The draft legislation has come under heavy criticism already - notably by three Parliamentary committees. In February, the Intelligence and Security Committee, which oversees the British spy agencies, called the bill at times "inconsistent and largely incomprehensible."

Documents relating to the Investigatory Powers Bill were published Tuesday afternoon - you can see them all here.

In a statement, Home Secretary Theresa May alleges that "The Government is not seeking sweeping new powers. Rather the Bill ensures that the security and intelligence agencies and law enforcement continue to have the powers they need to keep us safe against a backdrop of an increasingly complex, serious and unpredictable threat."

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There are worries that the bill is being hurried through Parliament, and will not be given sufficient scrutiny.

A group of MPs and civil society activists signed an open letter in The Telegraph on Tuesday morning calling on the Government not to "rush" through the legislation. "The Government's intention to pass the Investigatory Powers Bill this year is not in the nation's interest," it says.

"Surveillance is a global concern, and this new law, if done right, could lead the world. It will affect security, freedom and commerce. We must give the Bill the time it needs - not rush it through Parliament. We urge the Government to think again."

Signatories including Conservative MP David Davis, Lib Dem MP Tim Farron, and Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti.

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