• BBC News, Thursday, October 16, 2008 11:15 AM

Looks like someone saw "The Dark Knight" one too many times. Remember the scene when Batman unveiled his master plan for locating the Joker, that giant computer that listened in on every cell phone call in Gotham? Well the British government does, and it's coming under fire for proposing a similar plan to keep track of calls in the U.K.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has proposed the creation of a central database of all mobile phone and internet traffic so the police can better perform their job. While the database wouldn't actually listen to calls (British scientists are apparently still a distant second to Alfred the butler), it would keep track of times and dates of all messages and calls.

Not surprisingly, critics are calling the plan "Orwellian," with Lib Dems slamming the idea as "incompatible with a free country." In response, Smith said, "Our ability to intercept communications and obtain communications data is vital to fighting terrorism and combating serious crime, including child sex abuse, murder and drugs trafficking."

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