Government to amend RIPA to prevent harrassment of legitimate journalism
The government is reviewing the abuse of anti-terror legislation to snoop on legitimate journalism. The Conservative culture secretary Sajid Javid said on Thursday that the government will rapidly introduce safeguards to prevent the police accessing the phone records of reporters without approval of a judge, and added that “journalism is not terrorism”.
Javid said he would like to see the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (usually nicknamed RIPA) amended before the election in May after it emerged 608 journalists’ phone records had been accessed by police in investigating leaks.
The revelation was contained in a report by the interception of communications commissioner Sir Anthony May, which was accepted in full by the government. May’s report found RIPA did not “provide adequate safeguards to protect journalistic sources” and recommended that “judicial authorisation is obtained in cases where communications data is sought to determine the source of journalistic information.”
Javid confirmed he wanted to see this done before the election.
“I want to see the law changed to make it happen during this parliament, because there is no excuse for using anti-terror legislation to threaten legitimate reporting, no matter how awkward that reporting might be." he said
“Blowing a whistle on council corruption doesn’t warrant undercover surveillance. A front page that embarrasses a senior politician is not a threat to national security. Journalism is not terrorism.”
Javid added that he was “shocked” by the extent of official snooping on the confidential sources of journalists.
“Democracy needs journalists to function,” he said. “That is why last month’s attacks in Paris struck a chord around the world. They weren’t just an attack on a magazine, they were an attack on the ideals that underpin our way of life.
“Our journalists also face insidious threats from other quarters, be they commercial, judicial or political. Yesterday, we learnt the full extent to which RIPA was used to monitor journalists and their contacts. Like many of you, I was shocked by what was revealed.
“In Paris we saw terrorists attacking the fundamental freedoms of the media, so I was appalled to discover that legislation created to hamper terrorists was now being used to undermine those very same freedoms.”
Javid said he would like to see the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (usually nicknamed RIPA) amended before the election in May after it emerged 608 journalists’ phone records had been accessed by police in investigating leaks.
The revelation was contained in a report by the interception of communications commissioner Sir Anthony May, which was accepted in full by the government. May’s report found RIPA did not “provide adequate safeguards to protect journalistic sources” and recommended that “judicial authorisation is obtained in cases where communications data is sought to determine the source of journalistic information.”
Javid confirmed he wanted to see this done before the election.
“I want to see the law changed to make it happen during this parliament, because there is no excuse for using anti-terror legislation to threaten legitimate reporting, no matter how awkward that reporting might be." he said
“Blowing a whistle on council corruption doesn’t warrant undercover surveillance. A front page that embarrasses a senior politician is not a threat to national security. Journalism is not terrorism.”
Javid added that he was “shocked” by the extent of official snooping on the confidential sources of journalists.
“Democracy needs journalists to function,” he said. “That is why last month’s attacks in Paris struck a chord around the world. They weren’t just an attack on a magazine, they were an attack on the ideals that underpin our way of life.
“Our journalists also face insidious threats from other quarters, be they commercial, judicial or political. Yesterday, we learnt the full extent to which RIPA was used to monitor journalists and their contacts. Like many of you, I was shocked by what was revealed.
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