The early part of the 21st century might be characterised as a period in which
terrorism and the fear of terrorism have entered into the awareness and lives of a
large number of people in the Western world. This in turn has made citizens
increasingly aware of their own security and the British government of its need to
provide effective measures to protect its people. The consequence of such
protection might be an intrusion into areas of personal life that might once have
seemed unacceptable. However, any attempt to strike a balance between
competing interests is difficult, particularly in a technologically fast-changing
environment. It is in this complex context that this research is based.