NOTES FOR JOSH.....

Here are some resources that will allow you to construct the key area of your essay. This is THE COMMUNICATIONS DATA BILL/Ed SNOWDEN moment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20677850
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31001575
https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/campaigning/no-snoopers-charter
http://news.sky.com/story/1410140/q-and-a-the-snoopers-charter-explained
Criticism of the Bill:
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jun/14/snoopers-charte-proposal-tory-row
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/snoopers-charter-critics-round-on-theresa-mays-draconian-proposals-9765868.html

RIPA:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/13/freedom-of-expression-anti-snooping-campaign-launched-ripa-changes

Snowden:
http://www.computerworlduk.com/blogs/open-enterprise/gchq-revelations-destroy-case-for-snoopers-charter-3569378/

The whole point of this section Josh is that the debate relating to RIPA or The Draft Communications Bill..is largely pointless as Ed Snowden's revelations suggest that the UK and US government are 'hoovering' all our digital information.
You need to evaluate what this means for democracy in the digital world. What does this behaviour tell us about the government's attitude towards its own countryfolk? Is this similar to China's attitude??
THis is a big section of the essay Josh as it is a key media issue and debate when considering the protection of data and private security on the web. You need to find some relevant Snowden quotes.