Juvenile informers are the answer to knife crime wave – The Times

Posted July 17th, 2008 in investigatory powers, news, offensive weapons, young offenders by sally

“There is something very flawed about the Government’s response to knife crime. To be fair, none of the political parties has come up with an effective way of tackling the problem.”

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The Times, 17th July 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Councils warned over spying laws – BBC News

Posted June 24th, 2008 in investigatory powers, local government, news by sally

“Councils in England have been urged to review the way they use surveillance powers to investigate suspected crime.”

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BBC News, 23rd June 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Councils told to stop using spy laws for ‘trivial’ issues – The Guardian

Posted June 23rd, 2008 in investigatory powers, local government, news by sally

“Every council in England will today be instructed to stop using tough laws to spy on people over ‘trivial matters’ such as dog-fouling and litter offences.”

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The Guardian, 23rd June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Phorm failed to mention ‘illegal’ trials at Home Office meeting in 2007 – The Register

Posted June 18th, 2008 in internet, investigatory powers, news by sally

“The Home Office held a private meeting with Phorm in August last year, but BT’s interception and profiling partner did not disclose that it had completed an allegedly illegal trial of its technology on tens of thousands of unwitting broadband subscribers just weeks earlier.”

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The Register, 18th June 2008

Source: www.theregister.co.uk

Terror law turns thousands of council officials into spies – The Times

Posted May 31st, 2008 in investigatory powers, local government, news by sally

“Thousands of middle managers in local councils are being authorised to spy on people suspected of petty offences using powers designed to prevent crime and terrorism.”

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The Times, 31st May 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Do we really need to use these powers to tackle dog fouling? – The Times

Posted May 31st, 2008 in investigatory powers, special report by sally

“Human rights lawyers are increasingly alarmed that a piece of legislation that put state snooping on a legal basis has resulted in a huge expansion of the public sector’s ability to pry into private lives.”

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The Times, 31st May 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Spying council to be investigated – BBC News

“A privacy watchdog is to investigate a council that used powers to spy on people, including a family suspected of lying about where they lived.”

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BBC News, 28th May 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Council accused of foul play to catch guilty dog owners – The Guardian

Posted May 22nd, 2008 in closed circuit television, dogs, investigatory powers, news by sally

“Another council has been caught using surveillance laws designed to combat organised criminals – this time to catch dog owners whose pets foul the grass.”

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The Guardian, 22nd May 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Big Brother’ database for phones and e-mails – The Times

“A massive government database holding details of every phone call, e-mail and time spent on the internet by the public is being planned as part of the fight against crime and terrorism. Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecoms companies would hand over the records to the Home Office under plans put forward by officials.”

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The Times, 20th May 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Anti-terror unit loses surveillance powers to deflect Stockwell criticism – The Times

Posted May 19th, 2008 in investigatory powers, news, police, terrorism by sally

“Scotland Yard’s anti-terror unit has been stripped of its control over covert surveillance teams in an attempt to ward off further criticism over the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, The Times has learnt.”

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The Times, 19th May 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Government orders data retention by ISPs – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 16th, 2008 in data protection, investigatory powers, news by sally

“Phone and internet companies will soon be forced to keep logs of internet usage to be made available to the police under a new law announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown this week.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th May 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Anti-terror law used to snoop on fishermen – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 14th, 2008 in investigatory powers, news by sally

“A council which used anti-terrorism powers to check whether a child lived within a school’s catchment area has used the same law to spy on fishermen, it has emerged.”

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Daily Telegraph, 14th May 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Police ‘spying’ powers challenged – BBC News

Posted May 1st, 2008 in investigatory powers, judicial review, news, police by sally

“A legal bid to challenge the power of the police to use surveillance against peaceful protesters has been launched at the High Court.”

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BBC News, 1st May 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Spy law ‘used in dog fouling war’ – BBC News

Posted April 28th, 2008 in investigatory powers, local government, news by sally

“A survey of UK councils has found some are spying on litter louts and people who let dogs foul public places, using laws to track criminals and terrorists.”

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BBC News, 27th April 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BT’s secret Phorm trials open door to corporate eavesdropping – The Register

Posted April 18th, 2008 in advertising, internet, investigatory powers, news, privacy, telecommunications by sally

“The government has refused to investigate BT’s covert wiretapping of thousands of its customers in 2006 and 2007, despite its own expert’s view that without consent Phorm’s advertising targeting technology is a breach of criminal law.”

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The Register, 17th April 2008

Source: www.theregister.co.uk

Government already has 42-day detention power, says rebel – The Guardian

Posted April 15th, 2008 in detention, investigatory powers, news, terrorism by sally

“Ministers do not need to extend pre-charge detention to 42 days because they already have the power to almost indefinitely hold suspects who do not reveal what is held on their computers, a rebel Labour MP said today.”

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The Guardian, 14th April 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Watchdog blocks police bid to cut red tape for surveillance – The Times

Posted April 14th, 2008 in investigatory powers, news, police by sally

“Britain’s surveillance watchdog is blocking proposals by senior police officers to cut through the red tape involved in mounting operations to observe suspected criminals.”

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The Times, 14th April 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Anti-terror laws used to spy on family – The Independent

Posted April 11th, 2008 in education, investigatory powers, news, privacy by sally

“A family who were wrongly suspected of lying on a school application form have discovered that their local council used anti-terrorism surveillance powers to spy on them.”

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The Independent, 11th April 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bugging of MP on prison visit did not break the rules, inquiry finds – The Guardian

Posted February 22nd, 2008 in investigatory powers, news by sally

“Police officers knew they were covertly bugging conversations between a terror suspect and his MP, but were not breaking any rules when they did so, an official report said yesterday.”

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The Guardian, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Smith vows to end ‘confusion’ over bugging rules – The Guardian

Posted February 21st, 2008 in investigatory powers, news, parliament by sally

“The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, today proposed an end to the ‘confusion’ surrounding rules on the surveillance of MPs after it was announced that Labour MP Sadiq Khan was twice bugged while visiting a constituent in prison.”

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The Guardian, 21st Febraury 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk