The problem with the Investigatory Powers Bill is really that it is invasive and places a massive burden on ISPs. It's probably fair to say ISPs don't want to log what users do, and a lot of users certainly don't want to do it. But the government says that because some people are bad, all of us must be monitored.

The big problem is that people who would do us harm, like terrorists, will simply turn on a VPN and secure all of their communications. This will render such a bill entirely pointless, allowing law enforcement to see who watches porn online, but not who communicates with underground terror cells. Of course some of the information may well be useful for investigating crime after the fact, but there are already ways to do that without spying on the whole population.

There is also a proposal in this bill to allow the easy collection of email and similar communications. This requires approval by the home secretary, but some concern has been expressed that "one-off" approval could be given to an agency and then they would be left to their own devices. It's somewhat alarming, and exactly the sort of thing that the Edward Snowden whistleblowing warned us was already happening.

The government also wants companies to cooperate when asked to grant access to specific devices. This is analogous with what's currently happening in the US with Apple and the FBI. Hardware and software companies warn that if they make backdoors then everyone can kick at them until they gain access. This is something that happens all the time, just look at security cameras that use the same internal password hard-coded into the system.

Although this revised bill was supposed to address the concerns that many had, it seems to have been only lightly tweaked. There are still wide-ranging powers that are most alarming for normal citizens, and that would make the UK a near-draconian state in which to live.

The government would like this bill to pass by the end of this year. That's a big deal and if you're worried, write to your MP. Or, perhaps, just WhatsApp a friend about it - no doubt your concerns will be logged somewhere...