British police will gain new powers to hack into phones and computers and access web browsing histories under new measures announced on Tuesday.
Until now, police have only been allowed to hack into phones and computers to investigate “serious crime” but the new Bill will allow them to do so to prevent “death or injury or damage to a person’s physical or mental health”. They will be able to obtain internet connection records for a “specific investigation” provided it is “necessary and proportionate”.
A revised version of the investigatory powers Bill offers stronger protection for journalists and lawyers and makes fewer demands on technology companies to breach users’ privacy than an earlier draft. But the new police powers have alarmed civil liberties campaigners who fear hacking into phones and computers and searching browsing histories could become routine.
Home secretary Theresa May told MPs the government had taken into account concerns expressed by a parliamentary committee about the draft Bill and included stronger safeguards. "The government is not seeking sweeping new powers. Rather the Bill ensures that the security and intelligence agencies and law enforcement continue to have the powers they need to keep us safe against a backdrop of an increasingly complex, serious and unpredictable threat. The Bill provides the public and parliament with greater confidence that there are robust measures in place to ensure that the powers are subject to world-leading safeguards," she said.
Snoopers’ Charter
Dubbed the Snoopers’ Charter by its critics, the Bill is designed to codify the mass surveillance programmes employed by British security services and revealed by
Edward Snowden
. Bulk collection of data will continue and internet service providers will have to keep records for 12 months of all websites and apps accessed by users. But police will need a warrant from the home secretary to read people’s emails, and a new investigatory powers commission will be able to block such requests.
The government has drawn back from demanding technology companies such as Apple create "backdoors" to their devices to allow investigators to circumvent encryption. Companies will now only be asked to remove encryption when it is practicable for them to do so. The government has also agreed that police will need a judge's permission to uncover journalists' sources.
