MI5 'secretly collected phone data' for decade

by sallypelt 05.11.15 1:08

MI5 has secretly been collecting vast amounts of data about UK phone calls to search for terrorist connections, the BBC has learned.
The programme has been running for 10 years under a law described as "vague" by the government's terror watchdog.
It emerged as Home Secretary Theresa May unveiled a draft bill governing online spying by the authorities.
It would mean the internet activity of everyone in Britain had to be stored for a year by service providers.
Mrs May told MPs the proposed powers were needed to fight crime and terror and pledged new safeguards over MI5, MI6 and the police using the data.

'Nobody knew'

In her Commons statement, the home secretary referred to the 1984 Telecommunications Act, under which she said successive governments had allowed security services to access data from communications companies.
The data involved the bulk records of phone calls - not what was said but the fact that there was contact - with companies required to hand over domestic phone records.
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said the programme, which sources said was used to track terrorists and save lives, was "so secret that few even in MI5 knew about it, let alone the public".
The government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, David Anderson QC, told the BBC the legislation used to authorise the collection was "so vague that anything could be done under it".
He added: "It wasn't illegal in the sense that it was outside the law, it was just that the law was so broad and the information was so slight that nobody knew it was happening".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34729139

by Guest 05.11.15 6:51

Big Brother is watching.

This isn't to catch terrorists... it's to keep an eye on political opponents, people who want to change the system, disagree with official viewpoints and ask awkward questions.

by whatsupdoc 05.11.15 7:33

sallypelt wrote:MI5 has secretly been collecting vast amounts of data about UK phone calls to search for terrorist connections, the BBC has learned.
The programme has been running for 10 years under a law described as "vague" by the government's terror watchdog.
It emerged as Home Secretary Theresa May unveiled a draft bill governing online spying by the authorities.
It would mean the internet activity of everyone in Britain had to be stored for a year by service providers.
Mrs May told MPs the proposed powers were needed to fight crime and terror and pledged new safeguards over MI5, MI6 and the police using the data.

'Nobody knew'

In her Commons statement, the home secretary referred to the 1984 Telecommunications Act, under which she said successive governments had allowed security services to access data from communications companies.
The data involved the bulk records of phone calls - not what was said but the fact that there was contact - with companies required to hand over domestic phone records.
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said the programme, which sources said was used to track terrorists and save lives, was "so secret that few even in MI5 knew about it, let alone the public".
The government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, David Anderson QC, told the BBC the legislation used to authorise the collection was "so vague that anything could be done under it".
He added: "It wasn't illegal in the sense that it was outside the law, it was just that the law was so broad and the information was so slight that nobody knew it was happening".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34729139

"Nobody knew" Had to laugh at that! I remember several years ago talking to my son about the Enigma machine and the work done at Bletchley Park during WW2. I explained the workings of the Bombe, a concept by Alan Turing and built using uniselectors. Tommy Flowers who was working for the GPO at the time, designed the world's first valve, digital computer called Colossus to speed up cracking the German codes despite America claiming to have built a valve computer around this time. Nobody knew about Colossus at the time and it was destroyed with most of the documentation after the war. A Colossus has been constructed 'recently' and is on show in Manchester at the science museum.

As soon as I said the word Bombe, I hesitated and said " Oh, and good evening to Echelon".

It would seem that only the location of the calls were noted and not listening in on the calls, similar to what is now being said about tracking internet activity. Namely,the website url a person goes to but not the search information on a website.

by Guest 05.11.15 7:48

Yeah... "nobody knew".

Except for the crazy conspiracy theorists who have been saying it for years.

Snowdon gave the game away - but we all knew anyway.

And now all the fuss about keeping URL information... they already do that and more.

They just want to justify legally using it in court.

by Rogue-a-Tory 05.11.15 8:52

Wonder if there's anything of interest from 3 May 2007 sarcastic

by Rogue-a-Tory 05.11.15 8:59

BlueBag wrote:Yeah... "nobody knew".

Except for the crazy conspiracy theorists who have been saying it for years.

Snowdon gave the game away - but we all knew anyway.

And now all the fuss about keeping URL information... they already do that and more.

They just want to justify legally using it in court.

My CEO from a job early 2000s came from an 'establishment' family (hereditary titled). He warned me quite sternly at that time never to call his mobile if we needed to speak about sensitive business details & certainly not leave any info on voicemail. This has long drawn me to the conclusion that people in the circle have known for some time.

by willowthewisp 05.11.15 11:17

Should have gone to "Rupert and cohorts"aka specsavers to find out who was hacking who.eh Rebekah,Andy,dodgy Dave Carlton TV,Ben Fellows video disappears?

by jeanmonroe 05.11.15 11:23

'BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!'

It's 'alright' the CURRENT Government 'pushing through' all the 'snooping' 'laws', ('perceived' to be to THEIR 'advantage')

However, when they LOSE 'power' (voted out of 'office' at a GE)

THOSE 'laws' they, triumphantly, 'pushed through', 'WILL' BE ON THE STATUTE BOOK!

To be 'used', possibly, LEGALLY, 'against' the very people who intoduced them!

In short: 'BITE 'EM ON THE BUM!'

jta.

Theresa May, 4th November, 2015.

"For parliamentarians, (MP's) we will go even further. The Bill will, for the first time, put into LAW the Prime Minister’s commitment that in any case where it is proposed to intercept the communications of a parliamentarian, including Members of this House, Members of the House of Lords, UK MEPs and Members of the devolved legislatures, the Prime Minister will also be consulted."

I'd bet 'a pound to a penny' that the Prime Minister would 'love' to be er, 'consulted' on what UK MEP, Nigel Farage, was 'up to' in the run up, to the UK's European 'referendum'!

Like i said: 'BE CAREFUL, WHAT YOU 'WISH' FOR!'