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UK government admits spying on its own citizens since late 1990s

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UK government admits spying on its own citizens since late 1990s Empty UK government admits spying on its own citizens since late 1990s

Post by Ben Reilly Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:52 am

Britain’s intelligence agencies have been secretly collecting bulk personal data since the late 1990s and privately admit they have gathered information on people who are “unlikely to be of intelligence or security interest”.

Disclosure of internal MI5, MI6 and GCHQ documents reveals the agencies’ growing reliance on amassing data as a prime source of intelligence even as they concede that such “intrusive” practices can invade the privacy of individuals.

A cache of more than 100 memorandums, forms and policy papers, obtained by Privacy International during a legal challenge over the lawfulness of surveillance, demonstrates that collection of bulk data has been going on for longer than previously disclosed while public knowledge of the process was suppressed for more than 15 years.

The files show that GCHQ, the government’s electronic eavesdropping centre based in Cheltenham, was collecting and developing bulk data sets as early as 1998 under powers granted by section 94 of the 1984 Telecommunications Act.

The documents offer a unique insight into the way MI5, MI6, and GCHQ go about collecting and storing bulk data on individuals, as well as authorising discovery of journalists’ sources.

Bulk personal data includes information extracted from passports, travel records, financial data, telephone calls, emails and many other open or covert sources. Often they are “fused” together to help pinpoint suspects.

The frequency of warnings to intelligence agency staff about the dangers of trespassing on private records is at odds with ministers’ repeated public reassurances that only terrorists and serious criminals are having their personal details compromised.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/21/uk-spy-agencies-collected-bulk-personal-data-since-1990s
Ben Reilly
Ben Reilly
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UK government admits spying on its own citizens since late 1990s Empty Re: UK government admits spying on its own citizens since late 1990s

Post by Guest Thu Apr 21, 2016 7:54 am

Good, glad to see both Labour and Conservative governments is placing the security concerns of the peoples first.
Considering the security services have foiled many terrorist attempts, then this policy is clearly working

By 2013

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/07/mi5-chief-34-uk-terror-plots-disrupted

in 2015

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11997853/Revealed-Britain-foils-seven-terror-attacks-in-just-six-months.html


Imagine if they had not spied, how many of these attempts would have turned into actual terrorist attacks?

Take your time pondering that Ben

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