Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioner - March 2015
be obtained by other less intrusive means. Applications for communications data are
refused (or not applied for) where it is judged that the necessity does not outweigh the
intrusion. For example, an application is more likely to be granted for a mobile telephone
which a suspect is known to use for criminal purposes than if the telephone may also be
used by other members of the individual’s family as well. In such cases the acquisition
of unconnected and intrusive data might be unavoidable. Judging the likely intrusion in
advance is not an exact science.
Statistics for Communications Data
7.20 My office has previously referred to the inadequacy of the statistical requirements
in the Acquisition and Disclosure of Communications Data code of practice. The Home
Office recently included a more comprehensive set of statistical requirements in the
amended draft code of practice32. These new requirements will improve transparency
and provide for more meaningful analysis. Public authorities are currently working to
ensure their recording systems are amended to fulfil the new statistical requirements
from April 1st 2015, including the ability to capture information not previously recorded.
7.21 Figure 5 shows the number of authorisations and notices for communications
data over the previous three years (excluding urgent oral applications). The total number
Figure 5 2012-2014 Total Authorisations & Notices under Chapter II of Part I RIPA 2000
(ex urgent oral applications)
600000
500000
570,135
514,608
517,236
2013
2014
400000
300000
200000
100000
0
2012
32 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/communications-data-draft-codes-of-practiceacquisition-disclosure-and-retention
www.iocco-uk.info
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