Case study A9/18
MI5
Bulk acquisition data and bulk personal datasets
Action
Counter-terrorism
Bulk acquisition data and BPD were used to discover that a UK national had returned to
the UK, having attempted unsuccessfully to travel to Syria. Action was taken to disrupt
his activities. MI5 believes that the individual has been successfully deterred from further
attempts to travel to Syria.
Case study A9/19
MI5
Action/pattern analysis
Counter-terrorism
Summarised in the Operational Case
In 2007 bulk acquisition data was used to identify patterns of communication activity,
leading to the identification of previously unknown telephone numbers used by a UK
group of extremists planning to kidnap and murder a British Muslim soldier in the UK.
They intended to film the soldier’s death and send the film to their terrorist contacts
abroad for public release. MI5’s work enabled the police to search properties associated
with the group, leading to the discovery of evidence of the plot which was admissible in
court. Successful prosecutions followed.
The use of bulk acquisition data enabled MI5 to obtain information far more quickly than
it could have done using targeted means.
Case study A9/20
MI5/police
Action
Counter-terrorism
Summarised in the Operational Case
In this 2009 case, MI5 was investigating intelligence of a specific UK attack plan. This
intelligence was obtained through targeted means. However, it did not reveal the extent
to which the plot had developed. Bulk acquisition data was used to establish that the
threat to potential victims was not imminent. The knowledge obtained by MI5 from bulk
acquisition data informed a joint police/MI5 decision to continue with evidence-gathering
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