GCHQ's internet surveillance was unlawful

A UK court has ruled that spy agency GCHQ's internet surveillance has, in the past, been conducted unlawfully.

The Guardian is reporting that the Investigative Powers Tribunal (IPT) has ruled that GCHQ acted unlawfully in intercepting personal communications of millions of people.

The ruling applies to intelligence shared between the US and UK as part of the PRISM project first exposed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The IPT ruled that all intelligence sharing with America before 2014 breached the Human Rights Act.

That's a big difference to a ruling made by the tribunal in December. Back then it decided that GCHQ's mass internet surveillance was, in fact, legal.

It's a significant ruling by the IPT. It has never before ruled against the UK's security services. It's the only UK court that has the power to oversee GCHQ, as well as MI5 and MI6.