UK Home Secretary makes Snoopers’ Charter concessions

Ahead of a showdown in the UK’s House of Commons next week, Home Secretary Theresa May has made concessions over the so-called “Snoopers’ Charter”, including a restriction on the use of mass surveillance.

Ms May has made the changes to assuage the concerns of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) and MPs from across the political spectrum. They include the introduction of a privacy clause governing mass surveillance, the inclusion in law of the Wilson doctrine and restrictions on the use of “bulk personal datasets”, for example medical records.

The report stage of the bill is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday next week.

The bill will, however, put on a statutory footing the mass data collection and phone hacking operations undertaken by GCHQ – revealed by American whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013.

It will also introduce a measure for internet browsing records to be stored for 12 months, giving the intelligence services and police greater powers to track individuals’ web history.

The journalists’ provision will clarify that the judicial commissioner will have to consider the “overriding public interest” when the police and security services apply to uncover journalists’ sources.

Enshrining the Wilson doctrine in law will mean the Prime Minister must give the authorities consent before they hack MPs’ devices and access their communications data.

In addition, the test for using bulk personal datasets will be raised to to “exceptional and compelling” cases only.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We have always been clear that we will listen to the constructive views of politicians from all sides of the House to ensure the passage of this important bill.

“We have said the government will be bringing forward amendments at report stage and are willing to consider amendments that are in the interest of both improving the bill and of demonstrating the necessity of the powers it contains.”