Electronic surveillance

The UK Is Using Bulk Interception to Catch Criminals—And Not Telling Them

UK authorities are collecting and analysing data in bulk to identify suspected child exploitation offenders on the dark web, but are not informing defendants of how they were caught.

The practice starkly highlights the UK government’s stance on not including intercept as evidence in court. This, according to Eric King, a surveillance expert and director of activist group Don't Spy On Us, leaves suspects “totally in the dark.”

“The right to a fair trial relies on the fact that material being used against the defendant is shown to them, so they can answer to it and explain it,” King said.

In a government document from the end of February, the Home Office briefly mentions that intercepting data en masse is an effective tactic for disrupting criminal suspects on the dark web.