By Nick Heath, 23 July 2008 16:40
NEWS
Officials made more than 500,000 requests to snoop on private phone and internet information in the UK last year.
More than 1,400 requests per day were made to spy on phone call records and web traffic last year, up on the average of less than 350,000 per year over the previous two years.
Public bodies made 519,260 requests to phone and internet service providers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, according to a report by the interception of communications commissioner Sir Paul Kennedy.
Police and security services made the majority of the requests for billing information and other details but 1,707 of them came from local councils.
Kennedy said local authorities could make greater use of communications data to investigate crime.
But a separate report by the chief surveillance commissioner, Sir Christopher Rose, criticises techniques used by local authorities for misunderstanding the concept of proportionality.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith welcomed the reports and said these surveillance powers helped to protect the public.
Comments
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1. Karen Challinor
"Officials made more than 500,000 requests to snoop on private phone and internet information in the UK last year"
- why? they managed perfectly well before RIPA gave them carte blanche to use this particular sledgehammer to crack these particular nuts
"Kennedy said local authorities could make greater use of communications data to investigate crime"
- isn't that a police function rather than a civil service function?, if they have sufficient evidence for such a request then they should hand it over to the police and let them investigate
2. Nosy neighbour
I'd be more impressed if the report gave some useful information like how many terrorists were aprehended as a result.
3. Radical Meldrew
I'm pleased to see that Jacqui Smith is impressed with the introduction and use of RIPA. Control freakery reigns supreme yet again. I'm sure everyone will feel safer and more secure now that terrorist activities such as sending your kids to an out of area school or letting your dog poo on the public footpath will be vastly reduced as a result of such diligent scrutiny. This is a shining example of a gross misuse of power .... only a career politician would turn this into positive spin. What a delightful shower they are!!
4. Merlin Magii
Well we haven't been neutered yet ! If we all called time and slung this lot out on their Big Brother ears come the General Election and made it clear to candidates of other parties that the price of your vote was a repeal of RIP - they would get the point !
5. Lionel A Smith
Common Sense Distributor wrote:
“I'm sure everyone will feel safer and more secure now that terrorist activities such as sending your kids to an out of area school or letting your dog poo on the public footpath will be vastly reduced as a result of such diligent scrutiny.”
And when will it dawn on the population at large that when such officials decide that subjects have committed such heinous acts that they will be incarcerated for 42 days without legal representation or contact with the outside world.
Guess I'll be a target now if I am not already.