On 12th July, Out-Law published an article saying that new restrictions are to be placed on accessing communications data in the UK after the government moved to implement an EU court ruling applicable to surveillance laws in place in the country. The changes will, among other things, cut the number of cases in which communications data can be accessed by UK authorities for the purposes of fighting serious crime. They will also require the authorities to seek the approval of an independent body for the right to continue accessing communications data three days after they were given the right to do so through an ‘urgent’ internal sign-off process. It explains that currently the Investigatory Powers Act governs when UK authorities can obtain access to the data from communication providers and for what purposes they can use it. However, the government admitted to failings in the legislation and opened a consultation on proposed reforms last year. That exercise was prompted by a December 2016 ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU.
https://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2018/july/restrictions-accessing-communications-data-uk/
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