The government wants British spies to have new legal powers to hack your smartphone and computer
The Conservative government is expected to introduce its investigatory powers bill to Parliament in the coming weeks. The bill, if passed, will modernise the law on surveillance and provide a strong legal foundation that will allow the government to hack devices to obtain information.
British spies have carried out hacks before to obtain information, but arguably on shaky legal territory. Previously, the legality of such approaches was based on the Intelligence Services Act, passed in 1994, which talks in general terms about "property" and does not mention computers, according to The Times.
The investigatory powers bill, in contrast, will set out a clear legal framework for government surveillance in the digital age.
Independent reviewer of terrorism legislation David Anderson told The Times that hacking "presents a dizzing array of possibilities to the security and intelligence agencies."
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
- I'm an interior designer. Here are 10 things in your living room you should get rid of.
- A software engineer shares the résumé he's used since college that got him a $500,000 job at Meta — plus offers at TikTok and LinkedIn
- A 101-year-old woman keeps getting mistaken for a baby on flights and says it's because American Airlines' booking system can't handle her age
- The Role of AI in Journalism
- 10 incredible Indian destinations for family summer holidays in 2024
- 7 scenic Indian villages perfect for May escapes
- Paneer snacks you can prepare in 30 minutes
- Markets crash: Investors' wealth erodes by ₹2.25 lakh crore