Investigations would get a lot harder if the investigation target knew, and could object.
But I kind of agree. The update to RIPA reduced a lot of entities that had previously used & abused surveillance powers. System isn't perfect, and it's a delicate balancing act between the need to detect and prevent crimes, and a right to privacy. Having a court weigh up whether a request is reasonable, proportionate or just legal, helps.
To me, the biggest problem is on the commercial side. Can't get a court order? Get an account with one of the many data slurpers & aggregators that claim to provide location services and more. Don't even need to provide your credit card details because a good one would know yours already. And they're far less regulated.
I am kind of curious though. I generally think of fraud as a criminal matter, so how the split works between criminal and civil fraud cases. But insurance fraud isn't a victimless crime, so insurers need ways to discourage it.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
