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[FYI] (Fwd) FIPR-Bulletin: FIPR appalled by huge increase in Government snooping
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- Subject: [FYI] (Fwd) FIPR-Bulletin: FIPR appalled by huge increase in Government snooping
- From: "Axel H Horns" <horns@ipjur.com>
- Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 17:38:41 +0200
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To: <bulletin@admin.fipr.org> (FIPR Bulletin)
Date sent: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 16:25:44 +0100
From: Richard Clayton <listmaster@admin.fipr.org>
Subject: FIPR-Bulletin: FIPR appalled by huge increase in Government snooping
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FIPR Press Release:
FOR IMMEDIATE USE: 10 June 2002
FIPR appalled by huge increase in Government snooping
-----------------------------------------------------
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) Act is to be amended
before it even comes into force to dramatically increase the number of
official bodies that can access personal details of phone calls and
emails. The Act was hugely controversial when it went through
Parliament in 2000, with defeats for the Government in the Lords and
significant changes being made to prevent its complete rejection.
Now the powers that were originally only given to the police, customs,
secret services and the taxman are to be made available to a huge
range of Government departments, local authorities, the NHS and even
to Consignia (the Post Office).
Ian Brown, Director of FIPR commented, "I am appalled at this huge
increase in the scope of Government snooping. Two years ago, we were
deeply concerned that these powers were to be given to the police
without any judicial oversight. Now they're handing them out to a
practically endless queue of bureaucrats in Whitehall and Town Halls."
The powers contained in RIP Part I Chapter II allow notices to be
served on telephone companies, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or
postal operators to obtain information such as the name and address of
users, phone numbers called, source and destination of emails, the
identity of web sites visited or mobile phone location data accurate
to a hundred metres or less.
However, this part of the Act has proved to be complex to implement. A
draft Code of Practice only became available for consultation in
Autumn 2001 and is still being rewritten to reflect the poor reception
it received. The Government is now suggesting that this process will
be completed by August, but this is only the latest date in a long
series of missed deadlines.
Ian Brown remarked, "The difficulty that the Government has
encountered in getting the right processes in place for the police
should make us ultra-cautious in extending these powers to such a wide
range of bodies. We don't think that there's been enough resources put
into the oversight arrangements for the current proposals, let alone
what will be needed for this huge extension. In practice, these bodies
are going to obtain this personal data on anyone they wish, without
any effective way of checking what they're doing".
He continued, "which websites we visit or where we travel with a
mobile phone in our pocket reveals a great deal of personal
information. Accessing this information needs to be made more
difficult, not opened up to this huge range of new enquirers. I look
at this list and wonder not at who they've added, but if I can
possibly think of anyone they've left out."
Contacts for enquiries:
-----------------------
Ian Brown
Director
Foundation for Information Policy Research
ian@fipr.org
07970 164526
William Heath,
Vice-Chairman, FIPR
william.heath@kablenet.com
07973 115024
Notes for editors
-----------------
1. The Foundation for Information Policy Research (www.fipr.org), is a
non-profit think-tank for Internet and Information Technology
policy, governed by an independent Board of Trustees with an
Advisory Council of experts.
2. The order to be debated by Parliament is at:
http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/draft/20022322.htm
it is expected to be debated by the Commons on 18th June and the
Lords some time after.
3. A RIP s22 notice will reveal details held by a communications
service
provider such as...
name and address
service usage details
details of who you have been calling
details of who has called you
mobile phone location info
source and destination of email
usage of web sites (but not pages within such sites)
4. The current list of bodies allowed to serve RIP s22 notices is:
Police (all the forces, MOD police, NCS, NCIS)
Secret Intelligence Agencies (MI5, MI6, GCHQ)
Customs and Excise
Inland Revenue
5. The order extends the list of public authorities that can issue RIP
s22 notices (ie to access traffic data from telcos and ISPs)...
...to add the following central Government departments:
1. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
2. The Department of Health.
3. The Home Office.
4. The Department of Trade and Industry.
5. The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.
6. The Department for Work and Pensions. 7. The Department of
Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern
Ireland.
AND pretty much any local authority:
8. Any local authority within the meaning of section 1 of the Local
Government Act 1999
9. Any fire authority as defined in the Local Government (Best
Value)
Performance Indicators Order 2000
10. A council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government
etc.
(Scotland) Act 1994
11. A district council within the meaning of the Local Government
Act
(Northern Ireland) 1972
AND NHS bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland:
12. The Common Services Agency of the Scottish Health Service. 13.
The Northern Ireland Central Services Agency for the Health and
Social Services.
AND some other bodies:
14. The Environment Agency.
15. The Financial Services Authority.
16. The Food Standards Agency.
17. The Health and Safety Executive.
18. The Information Commissioner.
19. The Office of Fair Trading.
20. The Postal Services Commission.
21. The Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency.
22. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
23. The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary.
24. A Universal Service Provider within the meaning of the Postal
Services Act 2000
--
Richard Clayton listmaster @
admin.fipr.org
Foundation for Information Policy Research
http://www.fipr.org
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