MI6 STATEMENT OF UTILITY OF BULK CAPABILITIES
(supplied to the Review July 2016)
SIS uses its bulk investigatory powers to identify and understand threats to the UK and
intelligence opportunities in an overseas context. We live in a data-led world; to
maintain an edge over the UK’s adversaries SIS requires appropriate and safeguarded
access to that data. The people who assist SIS globally to keep the UK safe and
prosperous often possess rare qualities and talents. Finding them and keeping them
safe is helped greatly through the use of bulk powers.
SIS often depends on the use of bulk powers by GCHQ and MI5 to provide the seed of
information which it can then develop and enrich through its own use of bulk powers.
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Bulk Personal Datasets: Bulk personal datasets make a valuable and
significant contribution to SIS activity and they often form the backbone of
investigative work. Around 80% of people working on intelligence operations in
SIS have access to bulk personal datasets. These datasets enable SIS to take
a piece of fragmentary information and make a positive identification of a
person of intelligence interest who otherwise could not be identified. Such
datasets also help SIS to better understand the risks surrounding its activities in
order to protect the people it works with all over the world. Bulk personal data is
equally important across all operational areas covered by SIS including counterterrorism, counter-proliferation, cyber, serious crime and the geographical
requirements for intelligence collection as set out in the National Security
Strategy. Its importance to SIS is likely to increase.
•
Bulk Interception: SIS depends on GCHQ’s use of bulk interception to provide
targeted information that can then be developed by SIS to understand
intelligence threats and opportunities. Without this, SIS operations across all
areas (counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, cyber, serious crime and
geographical requirements for intelligence collection) would be significantly
damaged, including the ability to understand operational risks and manage
them appropriately. Its importance to SIS is unlikely to decline.
•
Bulk Acquisition of Communications Data: SIS depends on GCHQ’s and
MI5’s use of bulk acquisition of communications data to develop an
understanding of a threat to the UK, which SIS can then use its assets and
capabilities to inform and disrupt. This is particularly important in the context of
counter-terrorism. Its importance to SIS is unlikely to decline.
•
Bulk Equipment Interference: SIS is likely to become increasingly dependent
on GCHQ’s use of bulk equipment interference to identify threats to the UK.
This will allow SIS to develop further the understanding of these threats and
take steps to disrupt them. This is likely to be particularly important in the
context of counter-terrorism and cyber. Given the increasing use of encryption
and diversity of communication methods, the importance of this bulk power to
SIS is likely to increase.
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