@nothing new, 2000 RIPA act, Warrantless Wiretaps at Whim
What's new is the RIPA act created in 2000 (that was before 9/11). It removed the need for court orders to intercept communications, get emails, URLS, tap phone conversation, bank details etc. and expanded the number of agencies that could get these warrantless wiretaps at whim.
Unfortunately Parliament weren't happy about it, so Blair had to tone it down and expanded the list bit-by-bit. By 2003 Blair had increased it to almost every agency, Jobcentres, Fire stations, local councils... at least count it was 1000+.
His one compromise was to limit it to designated people within each agency, but lots of his political appointee friends were on that list.
I tell you 60% of MPs have been RIPA'd for phone/financial/email/etc. details and 10% currently RIPAd.
Steve: "Properly authorised phone taps should be considered admissible evidence in the courts. "
Do you imagine if any of these people had to go to court and show due cause why they should be allowed a wiretap, or access to the persons financial records, or email or SMSs... or medical records... or any of the other things you can get with a RIPA order, that they would bother? It'd only because it's so easy to just go take a look.
Also what is the total RIPA orders then? 250k is for wiretaps, (matches what the BT guy claimed), how many banks have had RIPAs, how many RIPA has ElReg and it's ISPs had?
ElReg have you guys ever had a RIPA order? Since the regulator is releasing the number it means it's legal to reveal the number of RIPAs, even if it's an offence to reveal the details of one. (I'm guessing none, if they wanted details they'd go to Rackspace since they are known to be more compliant.)
So banks, building societies, hospitals etc. could release the total number of Blair Ripa orders issued and we could see how deep a hole that little lying s**** dug for us.