| Author (Corporate) | BBC |
|---|---|
| Series Title | BBC News |
| Series Details | 10.07.14 |
| Publication Date | 10/07/2014 |
| Content Type | News |
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Emergency legislation to ensure that UK law enforcement and intelligence agencies can maintain their ability to access the telecommunications data they need to investigate criminal activity and protect the public was announced on the 10 July 2014 by the UK government. The initiative had cross party agreement. The UK government said it was taking the action following two recent developments. First, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) had struck down in April 2014 regulations enabling Communications Service Providers (CSPs) to retain communications data for law enforcement purposes for up to 12 months. Secondly, some companies were calling for a clearer legal framework to underpin their cooperation with law enforcement and intelligence agencies to intercept what terrorists and serious criminals are saying to each other. This is the ability to access content with a warrant signed by a Secretary of State. Some MPs and civil liberties organisations were shocked and opposed to the new bill and the way the emergency measure was to be rushed through parliament in one week. Steve Peers wrote that 'the government’s intention, as manifested by the Bill, to reinstitute mass surveillance of telecoms traffic data is a clear breach of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights'. The NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden said in an interview with The Guardian that it 'defies belief' that the bill must be rushed through after government ignored the issue for a year. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28237111 |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry, Justice and Home Affairs, Law, Values and Beliefs |
| Countries / Regions | United Kingdom |
