The recently released Intelligence and Security Committee into privacy and security attempted to smear a group of civil liberty organisations by leaving out a key part of evidence given to the Committee by Big Brother Watch and Liberty. The report astonishingly replaced 68 key words spoken by Dr Eric Metcalfe of Liberty with just “…”, an omission leaving the impression that when Emma Carr of Big Brother Watch said the word “yes“, she was agreeing with a question posed by the Chair of the Committee and not, as was the case, the statement given by Dr Metcalfe. The missing section provided clear context for Emma’s response which has been consequently misrepresented in newspapers today.

By cutting out the 68 key words actually spoken the Committee’s report gave the impression that Big Brother Watch thought terrorism was the price of freedom. You can read the ISC’s underhand spinning attempt in full here and Big Brother Watch’s letter rebutting their uncorrected reporting here [pdf].