Re: Critical?
Metadata?!
Let's just call it what it is.... DATA.
There's nothing "meta" about it. It's data that clearly identifies who contacted whom for how long (telephone records) and in the case of email the Subject of the discussion (email) - heh that's not the content of the message it's in the headers.
There's some lockstep going on here between nations. In the last week we've had Cameron (UK) decrying encryption. Reporting of this nebulous "dark net" has been going for months (don't be silly boys - it's TOR, nothing dark about it as the Silk Road trial Ulbrecht clearly shows, it's not an invisible net even the BTC is traceable).
We've had the frankly odd last minute UK Lords attempt to attach unpassable amendments to bills. Maybe they hope the more palatable alterntive will not get laughed out as an alternative.. lesser of two evils, when the choice is not actually one or the other, sleight of hand anyone?
There's an agenda afoot to get these laws passed in the 5 eyes. It puts me on high alert, I hope it does you too.