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04/11/2015
Home Secretary Reveals Investigatory Powers Bill
The Home Secretary Theresa May has introduced a Bill to Parliament which would allow police and intelligence services to access the internet activity logs of everyone in Britain.
The draft Investigatory Powers Bill would allow access to potential suspects internet connection records.
The Government said the Bill would 'significantly strengthen' powers already available to law enforcement.
In addition, new safeguards are included in the proposals, allowing judges to block spying operations to prevent the ruling being abused.
The Home Secretary said the powers in the draft Bill were needed to fight crime and terror.
"I am clear we need to update our legislation to ensure it is modern, fit for purpose and can respond to emerging threats as technology advances," she said.
"There should be no area of cyberspace which is a haven for those who seek to harm us to plot, poison minds and peddle hatred under the radar.
"But I am also clear that the exercise and scope of investigatory powers should be clearly set out and subject to stringent safeguards and robust oversight, including ‘double-lock’ authorisation for the most intrusive capabilities.
"This Bill will establish world-leading oversight to govern an investigatory powers regime which is more open and transparent than anywhere else in the world."
Measures of the bill include:
• A new criminal offence of "knowingly or recklessly obtaining communications data from a telecommunications operator without lawful authority", carrying a two-year prison sentence.
• Local councils to retain some investigatory powers but they will not be able to access online data stored by internet firms.
• The Wilson Doctrine, which prevents surveillance of Parliamentarians' communications, is to be written into law.
• Judge must give authority to Police before they can access journalistic sources.
• British companies will have a legal duty to help law enforcement hack devices to acquire information, within reason.
(LM/CD)
The draft Investigatory Powers Bill would allow access to potential suspects internet connection records.
The Government said the Bill would 'significantly strengthen' powers already available to law enforcement.
In addition, new safeguards are included in the proposals, allowing judges to block spying operations to prevent the ruling being abused.
The Home Secretary said the powers in the draft Bill were needed to fight crime and terror.
"I am clear we need to update our legislation to ensure it is modern, fit for purpose and can respond to emerging threats as technology advances," she said.
"There should be no area of cyberspace which is a haven for those who seek to harm us to plot, poison minds and peddle hatred under the radar.
"But I am also clear that the exercise and scope of investigatory powers should be clearly set out and subject to stringent safeguards and robust oversight, including ‘double-lock’ authorisation for the most intrusive capabilities.
"This Bill will establish world-leading oversight to govern an investigatory powers regime which is more open and transparent than anywhere else in the world."
Measures of the bill include:
• A new criminal offence of "knowingly or recklessly obtaining communications data from a telecommunications operator without lawful authority", carrying a two-year prison sentence.
• Local councils to retain some investigatory powers but they will not be able to access online data stored by internet firms.
• The Wilson Doctrine, which prevents surveillance of Parliamentarians' communications, is to be written into law.
• Judge must give authority to Police before they can access journalistic sources.
• British companies will have a legal duty to help law enforcement hack devices to acquire information, within reason.
(LM/CD)
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