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The Home Office is currently developing a UK-wide police 'super-database' containing a vast amount of data, which mixes both evidential and intelligence material. Here is why PI is concerned about LEDS and what we are doing about it.

UK local authorities (Councils) are looking at people’s social media accounts, such as Facebook, as part of their intelligence gathering and investigation tactics in areas such as council tax payments, children’s services, benefits and monitoring protests and demonstrations.

In some cases, local authorities will go so far as to use such information to make accusations of fraud and withhold urgently needed support from families who are living in extreme poverty.

In the rush to respond to Covid-19 and its aftermath, government and companies are exploiting data with few safeguards. PI is acting to ensure that this crisis isn't abused.

Our data stored in the cloud is increasingly sought after by law enforcement agencies. Increasingly, it is obtained using ‘cloud extraction technologies’.

Exploiting new technologies that are in our homes and on our bodies as part of criminal investigations and for use as evidence, raises new challenges and risks that have not been sufficiently explored. 

From facial recognition to social media monitoring, from remote hacking to the use of mobile surveillance equipment called 'IMSI catchers', UK police forces are using an ever-expanding array of surveillance tools to spy on us as we go about our everyday lives.

Rising concerns around austerity, transparency, efficiency and financial management have fed into a narrative of technology as a magic cure-all to socio-economic and political issues.

There is a growing push towards identity systems around the world - leading to some of the world's largest biometric databases, as well as other technologies that can be used to track and profile individuals and communities.

Powerful governments are financing, training and equipping countries — including authoritarian regimes — with surveillance capabilities.
 

The use of ‘mobile phone extraction’ tools enables police forces to download all of the content and data from people’s phones. This can apply to suspects, witnesses and even victims – without their knowledge.