UK Taps 439,000 Phones, Now Wants To Monitor MPs

JPMH writes "With the largest density of CCTV cameras in the world, and an increasing network of automatic number-plate recognition cameras on main roads, Britain has long been a pioneer for the surveillance society. Now new official figures reveal that UK agencies monitored 439,000 telephones and email addresses in a 15 month period between 2005 and 2006. The Interception of Communications Commissioner is seeking the right for agencies to be allowed to monitor the communications of Members of Parliament as well, something which has been forbidden since the 1960s. It must be that it is bringing their numbers down: on the law of averages they should be monitoring at least 5 of the MPs."

Comments

One wiretap for every twelve crimes?

[mrogers]

The figure seems particularly large when you consider that around 5,000,000 crimes were reported in England and Wales during the same period. Does one in twelve crimes require a wiretap? Or is it possible that at least some of the surveillance is politically motivated?

Re:One wiretap for every twelve crimes?

[mrogers]

Good point. Here are the primary sources:

Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioneer for 2005-6
Report of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner for 2005-6

The 439,000 wiretap requests resulted in 2,243 warrants - I don't know whether multiple requests can be granted in a single warrant. For human surveillance, which is covered by the second report, 2,177 authorisations were granted under the Police Act, of which roughly half involved drug offences, and 418 authorisations were granted under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.

But for me, the most interesting part of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner's report was his opinion about automatic number plate recognition cameras:

...it is unlikely that the deployment could be authorised under RIPA or RIP(S)A. There may well be human rights issues arising in connection with any use of private information to build up pictures of the movements of particular persons or vehicles... The unanimous view of the Commissioners is that the existing legislation is not apt to deal with the fundamental problems to which the deployment of ANPR cameras gives rise.

Headline is WRONG!

[sirwired]

There were NOT 439,000 requests to tap phones. There were 439,000 requests for "communications information". This includes requests for lists of e-mail addresses, lists of numbers called, etc, in addition to taps.

I'm not saying that is a good or bad thing, just that the headline is incorrect and sensationalist.

SirWired

Re:So what?

[Zoxed]

> There were 439,000 *requests*.

Slashdot title: 439,000 phones tapped (dramatic)

Actual report:
- 439,000 requests (i.e. a bit less dramatic)
- link to TFA states telephone *and* email addresses (i.e. a bit less dramatic)
- TFA says telephone, email and postal addresses (i.e. a bit less dramatic, again)