European Union Judges in Luxemburg could limit key powers in the United Kingdom surveillance law just before Britain votes on its EU membership.
The Guardian reported that the European Court of Justice will hold an emergency hearing on whether the bulk interception of communications data is in violation of the principle human rights. The final decision could have a decisive effect on the powers of the Cheltenham-based monitoring agency known as GCHQ. It could also come shortly before Britons decide whether to leave or remain in the EU on June 23.
Some leading experts say that Britain should use targeted surveillance to tackle terrorism rather than collecting every individual's private online data because terror groups or suspects behind recent attacks are already known to police. Graham Wood told RT News on Tuesday that privacy is not a privilege, but a fundamental right. Wood added that the very fact of retention will affect how people communicate, impacting private behavior.
The timing of the judgement ahead of the referendum will ignite allegations from "leave campaigners" that judges from Europe are exerting too much influence over Britain. The court is making the decision after Tom Watson, Labor's Deputy Leader, and Conservative MP David Davis won a legal victory in the High Court against the government. Both men argued that the Data Retention and Investigator Powers Act 2014 allows security services and police to spy on citizens without sufficient privacy safeguards, reports The Telegraph.
The act requires phone and internet companies to keep their communications data for a year and controls how intelligence and police agencies gain access to it. The top court ruled that the laws are inconsistent with the EU law, a decision which will now be reviewed by the ECJ.
A solicitor who will represent Privacy International at the Luxemburg hearing believes that the hearing is important since it tackles on everyone's data protection rights and investigatory powers bill only extends these powers even further.
