5. ASSESSMENT: BULK INTERCEPTION
Claimed utility
5.1.
The bulk interception power is currently exercised only by GCHQ, and we
understand that this is not likely to change.195
5.2.
Cathryn McGahey QC and I have inspected a great deal of closed material
concerning the value of bulk interception, including warrant renewal applications
(which contain details of the use to which intelligence derived from bulk
interception had been put) and explanations produced for the benefit of the ISC
and the Review.
5.3.
The value of bulk interception is summarised on an open basis in the Operational
Case (7.1-7.2) as follows:
“Bulk interception is a capability designed to obtain foreign-focused
intelligence and identify individuals, groups and organisations overseas that
pose a threat to the UK. It allows the security and intelligence agencies to
intercept the communications of individuals outside the UK and then filter and
analyse that material in order to identify communications of intelligence value.
Bulk interception is essential because the security and intelligence agencies
frequently have only small fragments of intelligence or early, unformed, leads
about people overseas who pose a threat to the UK. Equally, terrorists,
criminals and hostile foreign intelligence services are increasingly
sophisticated at evading detection by traditional means. Just as importantly,
due to the nature of the global internet, the route a particular communication
will travel is hugely unpredictable. Combined, this means that sometimes the
data acquired via bulk interception is the only way the security and
intelligence agencies can gain insight into particular areas and threats.
Access to large volumes of data is therefore essential to enable
communications relating to subjects of interest to be identified and
subsequently pieced together in the course of an investigation.”
5.4.
A more detailed statement of the utility of bulk interception, arranged by
reference to the SIAs’ agreed structured description of security and intelligence
work,196 was supplied to the Review by GCHQ (Annex 7).197 In summary:
(a) GCHQ described its ability to interrogate the communications data obtained
through bulk interception as providing “the key capability to answer questions
about developing incidents as they occur and identify the individuals
involved”.
195
196
197
See further 2.6-2.28 above.
4.2-4.10 above and Annex 4.
I leave out of account those parts of this document that refer to the advantages to be gained
from interception generally, rather than bulk interception (e.g. the citation from Charles Farr’s
witness statement under the heading Understand).
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