The new surveillance powers unveiled by home secretary Theresa May in wake of the Edward Snowden revelations

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Theresa May gives police powers to view UK citizens' web browser history – live Read more

• Requires web and phone companies to store records of websites visited by every citizen for 12 months for access by police, security services and other public bodies.



• Makes explicit in law for the first time security services’ powers for the bulk collection of large volumes of personal communications data.

• Makes explicit in law for the first time the powers of the security services and police to hack into and bug computers and phones. Places new legal obligation on companies to assist in these operations to bypass encryption.

Theresa May unveils surveillance measures in wake of Snowden claims Read more

• New “double-lock” on ministerial authorisation of intercept warrants with a panel of seven judicial commissioners given power of veto. But exemptions allowed in “urgent cases” of up to five days.

• Existing system of three oversight commissioners replaced with single investigatory powers commissioner who will be a senior judge.

• Prime minister to be consulted in all cases involving interception of MPs’ communications. Safeguards on requests for communications data in other “sensitive professions” such as journalists to be written into law.

• New Home Office figures show there were 517,236 authorisations in 2014 of requests for communications data from the police and other public bodies as a result of 267,373 applications. There were 2,765 interception warrants authorised by ministers in 2014.

• In the case of interception warrants involving confidential information relating to sensitive professions such as journalists, doctors and lawyers, the protections to be used for privileged information have to be spelled out when the minister approves the warrant.

• Bill includes similar protections in the use of powers to hack or bug the computers and phones of those in sensitive professions as well.

• Internet and phone companies will be required to maintain “permanent capabilities” to intercept and collect the personal data passing over their networks. They will also be under a wider power to assist the security services and the police in the interests of national security.

• Enforcement of obligations on overseas web and phone companies, including the US internet giants, in the courts will be limited to interception and targeted communications data requests. Bulk communications data requests, including internet connection records, will not be enforceable.