“So communications data – not the content of the call, that’s governed separately – but the “who called who and when”, we do need to make sure that we can follow that online as well as through a telephone call”.
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Downing Street has said that the measures in the Investigatory Powers Bill will “address gaps” in intelligence gathering and access to communications data which is putting “lives at risk”. It provides for the retention of internet connection records (ICRs), with the Government pledging to tightly control access to the data.
And good news for journalists: the bill would put into statute a “requirement for all applications for all applications to access the communications data for the objective of identifying or confirming the identity of a journalist’s source to be authorised by a Judicial Commissioner”. May informed the House of Commons that 90% of large organizations suffered an information security breach previous year.
May is poised to announce the new plan today, which will be called the draft investigatory powers bill.
“We know these powers are needed as technology changes, and terrorists and criminals use ever more sophisticated ways to communicate”. Most certainly against terrorism suspects, organised criminals and people involved in abuse, exploitation and kidnappings.
Will they be used against the innocent? Critics say the bill remains highly intrusive.
She confirmed that the legislation will not give investigators the power to restrict encryption or trawl through internet users’ browsing history.
She has argued for similar rules to those governing phone records – which can be accessed without a ministerial warrant – for online communications. The new laws also seek to ban tech firms from offering customers unbreakable encryption. Under the new law the Home Secretary would still sign such warrants, but judges would be asked to scrutinise the decision and would be able to overturn it if they deem the operation unlawful.
The bill will be reviewed by legislators before it’s submitted to Parliament for approval.
(PA) 7. The Prime Minister would have to be consulted before MPs’ communications could be intercepted by British spies as the protection of the so-called Wilson Doctrine is written into law for the first time.
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The controversial Investigatory Powers Bill, set to be introduced on Wednesday, has dropped a few of the more “contentious” aspects of its 2012 predecessor, the infamous “snoopers’ charter”, according to Home Secretary Theresa May.
