Over 90% of UK Police Requests to Access Calls & Emails Are Granted

f56da69c-3e3a-43b0-9523-c7a9a6e02368-1020x612.jpeg?w=700&q=85&auto=format&sharp=10&s=6a6bad4037fa5b64638c92f82090cd6c

The investigatory powers bill aims to strengthen police powers to intercept calls, messages and communications data.

Ministers are facing calls to curb the scale of police access to private phone and email records, after a report by privacy campaigners found officers were making a request every two minutes and getting access in 93% of cases.

The figures, released to Big Brother Watch under freedom of information laws, found there were more than 730,000 requests for communications data between 2012 and 2014 from forces across the UK. There were annual increases in applications in each of those years, peaking at just under 250,000 last year, according to the report.
It also uncovered a huge disparity in how many requests were being allowed by each force, with some, such as Essex, rejecting 28% of requests but others, such as Cheshire, turning down only 0.1%.
The report comes at a sensitive time for the government, which is sitting on an official report about surveillance powers by David Anderson QC, who has warned that it “won’t please everybody”.
At the same time, Theresa May, the Home Secretary, is seeking to revive legislation that would give the security services and police extra surveillance powers, including strengthening the warranted powers of police and spies to intercept the content of calls and messages as well as communications data.
Critics of proposals for the new investigatory powers bill – unveiled in the Queen’s speech – say there is already too much information gathered on the activities of citizens and insufficient transparency about whose information is accessed, what kinds of cases the data relates to and how each request is approved.
In light of the Big Brother Watch report, David Davis, a Conservative former shadow home secretary, said the scale of police access to communications data was “out of control” and called for officers to get approval from a judge before accessing the information.
“Before we make any further changes to the law, we need to understand it and we need to get it back under control, which means a better warrant system or judicial approval system,” he said.
Davis also said the “astonishing range” of rejection rates – from 0.1% to 28% – suggests there is something wrong with the way requests are being handled. He said it was already a “disgrace” that there was not more information on how the police are using private data, saying there was “overwhelmingly a case for massively more transparency in this area”.
“The government’s primary argument for extending the ability to collect communications data is that somehow there is a shortfall,” he said. “But they refuse to provide the information that would prove or disprove their case.”

Tom Watson, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said: “Our intelligence and police services remain in danger of losing public legitimacy for the surveillance they conduct.
“It’s absolutely vital that people understand for what reason this information is requested so frequently. Of course, there has to be secrecy about the nature of the intelligence but it is not unreasonable for public policymakers to know the terms on which these investigations are undertaken,” he said.

The government is bracing itself for a battle over civil liberties in the next few years, as May makes the case for more powers for the security services and police to access private communications data and intercept the contents of messages.
The legislation, formerly known as the communications data bill, was previously blocked by the Liberal Democrats in 2013 at a time of renewed scrutiny of the intelligence services over the revelations of US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

May has sought to justify the revival of the surveillance bill by saying police forces and the security agencies have a gap in their capabilities because their current powers do not allow them to access certain new technologies.
However, Renate Samson, chief executive of Big Brother Watch, said the tiny rate of rejections raised questions about the claim that police forces are being frustrated in their quest for information.
“Modern policing and the use of technology in investigating crime should be more transparent,” Samson said. “We are repeatedly told that communications data plays a significant role in modern policing, yet the report’s findings pose serious questions about the internal approval process, which differs from force to force.
“With police forces making over 730,000 requests for communications data in the past three years, political mutterings of diminishing access to our communications are clearly overstated. If greater access to our communications is to be granted, increased transparency and independent judicial approval should be introduced as standard.
“Until these safeguards exist, the public will have little confidence that the powers to access their communications are being used only when it is truly necessary and proportionate.”

The group’s report made five policy suggestions, including the introduction of judicial approval for all requests, a revised definition of what constitutes “communications data”, standardised procedures for making requests for all forces and telecoms companies, and making police forces produce “transparency reports” about how they make requests.
Communications data is defined by Big Brother Watch as “the who, where and when of any text, email, phone call or web search”.
A “designated person” – who must not be involved in the investigation and who must have a working knowledge of human rights legislation – is approved to access those details.
Currently, the police and security services generally require approval from a secretary of state when they want to intercept the contents of communications.

Sir Anthony May, the interception of communications commissioner, reported this year that the intelligence agencies and all other authorities collectively had permission to look at communications data more than half a million times in 2014, but he dismissed claims that there was any “significant institutional overuse of communications data powers”.
However, he did say: “A proportion of the applications did not adequately deal with the question of necessity or proportionality. There were some examples where the powers had been used improperly or unnecessarily.”
This included “breaches” in the way legally privileged material – private conversations between lawyers and their clients – had been handled by the various agencies.

Responding to the report, a Home Office spokesman said: “It is absolutely vital that our police and security services are able to obtain communications data in certain, limited circumstances, to protect the public and ensure national security.
“This information helps to disrupt terrorist plots, smash criminal networks and keep us safe, and it is a government priority to ensure our legislation is updated to deal with changing threats and evolving technologies.”
Chief Supt. Stephen Graham, head of the West Midlands Police intelligence department, said: “Mobile phones now play a vital role in the investigation of crimes and help to locate missing people or in cases where we have threats to life.
“The application to obtain these details is subject to guidance and strict codes of practice. All police forces are regularly and rigorously inspected by an independent body on the way in which we use this tactic.
“The information gives details of when a call was made and which phone number was called. It may also give details of the location of the people making and receiving the call but would not include what they say or what data they pass on within a communication – including text, audio and video.
“People may think that it is an extension of police powers when all it is doing is giving us the ability to do what we already do.”
Guardian: http://bit.ly/1FJY4yl

 

« Cyber Threat: First Data Theft - Next Data Manipulation
Tor Gets Help to Anonymise Users of 'dark web' »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

BackupVault

BackupVault

BackupVault is a leading provider of automatic cloud backup and critical data protection against ransomware, insider attacks and hackers for businesses and organisations worldwide.

ZenGRC

ZenGRC

ZenGRC - the first, easy-to-use, enterprise-grade information security solution for compliance and risk management - offers businesses efficient control tracking, testing, and enforcement.

Practice Labs

Practice Labs

Practice Labs is an IT competency hub, where live-lab environments give access to real equipment for hands-on practice of essential cybersecurity skills.

MIRACL

MIRACL

MIRACL provides the world’s only single step Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) which can replace passwords on 100% of mobiles, desktops or even Smart TVs.

LockLizard

LockLizard

Locklizard provides PDF DRM software that protects PDF documents from unauthorized access and misuse. Share and sell documents securely - prevent document leakage, sharing and piracy.

NXP Semiconductors

NXP Semiconductors

NXP is a world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications and the Internet of Things.

BeOne Development

BeOne Development

BeOne Development provide innovative training and learning solutions for information security and compliance.

Workz Group

Workz Group

Workz connects and protects mobile subscribers of today and tomorrow by providing secure removable or embedded SIMs and remote provisioning solutions for consumer, M2M and IOT devices.

Nakivo

Nakivo

NAKIVO is dedicated to delivering the ultimate backup, ransomware protection and disaster recovery solution for virtual, physical, cloud and SaaS environments.

Document Security Systems (DSS)

Document Security Systems (DSS)

DSS anti-counterfeit, authentication, and brand protection solutions are deployed to prevent attacks which threaten products, digital presence, financial instruments, and identification.

Tetrad Digital Integrity (TDI)

Tetrad Digital Integrity (TDI)

TDI is a world-class consulting firm offering cybersecurity services to government agencies and commercial clients around the world.

PrivacySavvy

PrivacySavvy

PrivacySavvy's mission is to provide you with all the information that you need to ensure that your internet privacy is intact, your devices are secure, and that any time you step online, you’re safe.

IDX

IDX

IDX is the leading consumer privacy platform built for agility in the digital age.

Ascent Cyber

Ascent Cyber

Ascent Cyber provide simple and stress-free solutions to protect your business and its customers from the worries and costs of cybercrime.

Ankura Consulting Group

Ankura Consulting Group

Ankura is a global expert services and advisory firm that delivers services and end-to-end solutions in a wide range of areas including cybersecurity and digital transformation.

Protectt.ai Labs

Protectt.ai Labs

Protectt.ai Labs is India’s first mobile security start up building awareness & providing solutions for mobile app, device & transaction security.

Commvault

Commvault

Commvault's data protection and information management solutions help companies protect, access and use all of their data, anywhere and anytime.

iNovex

iNovex

iNovex is a community of innovators that work together to solve hard problems. We partner with you to meet problems head-on and push boundaries with technology solutions.

Cool Waters Cyber

Cool Waters Cyber

Cool Waters Cyber manage cyber security governance, risk and compliance.

Lighthouse IT

Lighthouse IT

At Lighthouse IT, we are focused on delivering seamless and reliable services to unlock the value of technology for your business.

Tausight

Tausight

Tausight is an AI-Powered patient data security startup with a mission of reducing healthcare cyber incidents using a more proactive, risk management philosophy.