‘Snooper’s charter’ faces rough ride through parliament – The Guardian

“Civil liberties are said to have been the political glue that brought the two coalition parties together before the general election, and nothing joined them more strongly than their joint opposition to Labour’s ‘Big Brother’ database.”

Full story

The Guardian, 11th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Internet surveillance will save lives, says Theresa May – Daily Telegraph

“Lives will be saved by new internet powers allowing security services and police to snoop on emails, web visits and social networking sites, Home Secretary Theresa May has said.”

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd December 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Update on Freedom of Information – 11 KBW

“This paper focuses on developments in the case law concerning freedom of information over roughly the last 12 months. The number of cases concerning freedom of information being decided has continued to grow at an exponential rate (in part due to successful efforts by the Information Commissioner (‘the IC’) to get on top of the case backlog faced by his office). The Information Rights Tribunal (‘the Tribunal’) website contains the outcomes of over 220 appeals since the beginning of 2012 alone – and the vast majority of these are substantive decisions. There have also been seven Upper Tribunal (‘UT’) decisions, and one decision each from the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 20th November 2012

Source: www.11kbw.com

Content of emails should generally not be considered as property, rules High Court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 9th, 2012 in confidentiality, disclosure, electronic mail, intellectual property, news by tracey

“Businesses do not have a general claim of ownership over the content in staff emails, a High Court judge has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 8th November 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

MPs call communications data bill ‘honeypot for hackers and criminals’ – The Guardian

“The home secretary, Theresa May, has been told by peers and MPs that her £1.8bn internet monitoring proposals will be a ‘honeypot for hackers and criminals around the world’ and that she must bring in prison sentences for those who hack databases.”

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The Guardian, 31st October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Use stronger snooping powers against fly tipping, watchdog urges – Daily Telegraph

“New powers to snoop on all emails, web visits and phone calls could still be used to combat minor crimes despite Government assurances, the watchdog who oversees them has said.”

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Daily Telegraph, 29th October 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Criminals could avoid surveillance of their communications even under expanded regime, says Information Commissioner – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 18th, 2012 in bills, electronic mail, intelligence services, news, telecommunications by sally

“Serious criminals will be able to avoid details of their communications being monitored under an expanded intelligence gathering regime proposed by the Government, the UK’s data protection watchdog has warned.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 17th October 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Information stored in electronic recycle bins is held for purposes of FOI disclosure, says watchdog – OUT-LAW.com

“Public sector bodies will generally be required to disclose information even if it is stored in computer ‘recycle bins’, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 12th October 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

NightJack blogger receives £42,500 payout from Times publisher – The Guardian

“The Lancashire detective exposed by the Times as the author of the NightJack police blog has received a £42,500 damages payout from the publisher of the newspaper.”

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The Guardian, 8th October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

News International wins court ruling on searches related to phone hacking – The Guardian

Posted October 5th, 2012 in disclosure, electronic mail, interception, media, news by tracey

“Lawyers acting for more than 170 phone-hacking victims, including Cherie Blair and Hugh Grant, were dealt a blow on Friday after losing a high court application to force News International to do a general search of its databases for potential evidence of illegal voicemail interception.”

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The Guardian, 5th October 2012

Surce: www.guardian.co.uk

Freedom of Information to include ministers’ private texts – BBC News

“Emails from private accounts and texts sent by the prime minister and cabinet members could be accessible under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI).”

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BBC News, 30th September 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

This spying bill is against privacy and democracy. And it won’t work – The Observer

“Should the Communications Data Bill become law, it will be an intervention too far from the surveillance state.”

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The Observer, 9th September 2012

Source: http://observer.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council Calls for ‘Snoopers’ Charter’ to Protect Legal Communications – The Bar Council

Posted August 23rd, 2012 in bills, electronic mail, interception, legal profession, news, privacy by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has urged the Committee considering the draft Communications Data Bill to recommend protection for legal communications before any new interception powers are granted.”

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The Bar Council, 22nd August 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Public consultation on ‘web snooping’ plans ends – BBC News

Posted August 23rd, 2012 in consultations, electronic mail, internet, investigatory powers, news by sally

“Members of the public have a final chance to have their say on plans to store all their web browsing and social media data for 12 months.”

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BBC News, 23rd August 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Man fined £110 for sending abusive email to Tory MP – The Guardian

“A man who abused a Tory MP in a crude email after the politician was headbutted by a rival at Westminster was fined £110 and ordered to pay £100 costs yesterday. Nicholas Scales told MP Stuart Andrew to ‘stop wasting police time and get your fucking job done’, Leeds magistrates court heard.”

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The Guardian, 22nd August 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Section 7(9) DPA is about privacy, not employment disputes – Panopticon

Posted August 22nd, 2012 in data protection, disclosure, electronic mail, employment, news, privacy by sally

“Disputes about subject access requests under section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998 only rarely make their way to the Higher Courts. The leading – and often bedevilling – case of Durant is, for example, now 9 years old. Given this scarcity of precedent from the High Court and Court of Appeal, up-to-date illustrations of the judiciary’s approach to the DPA are most usefully sought in County Court judgments – see for example Panopticon’s post on the case of Elliot v Lloyds TSB Bank from earlier this year.”

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Panopticon, 22nd August 2012

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Security services to get more access to monitor emails and social media – The Guardian

“Britain has quietly agreed to measures that could increase the ability of the security services to intercept online communications, experts say.”

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The Guardian, 28th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Joint Committee on the Draft Communications Data Bill call for evidence – Joint Committee on the Draft Communications Data Bill

“The Joint Committee is a committee of both Houses appointed to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Communications Data Bill. Inquiry Status: The Committee has issued a Call for Evidence, which asks for submissions by 23 August 2012.”

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Joint Committee on the Draft Communications Data Bill, 5th July 2012

Source: www.parliament.uk

Foreign powers will be allowed to access email and phone records – Daily Telegraph

“Foreign governments could be given details of Britons’ phone calls, emails and internet usage in another ‘deeply troubling’ part of new surveillance plans.”

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Daily Telegraph, 4th July 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Opening doors for electronic communications across the UK – Law Commission

Posted June 28th, 2012 in consultations, electronic mail, news, telecommunications by sally

“In a consultation opening today, the Law Commission is seeking views on how the Electronic Communications Code is working for those who use it, and what can be done to make it more transparent and user-friendly.”

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Law Commission, 28th June 2012

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk