Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioner - July 2016
Figure 5 Breakdown of interception errors by cause
no lawful
authority
6
incorrect
dissemination
%
incorrect
communications
address
8%
24%
over-collection
13
%
safeguards
breaches
35%
implementation
of warrant
2%
3%
11%
22
%
failure to
cancel interception
11%
unauthorised
disclosure
unauthorised selection /
examination
stored communication
acquired w/o
lawful authority
6.96 Unauthorised selection / examination. The most common errors in this category
were instances where an analyst mistakenly continued to select the communications of
an individual based overseas after the individual was known to have entered the UK or
technical failures which led to the incorrect selection of material or material continuing
to be selected after it had been de-tasked.
6.97 Incorrect dissemination. These error instances constitute non-compliance with
section 15(2) of RIPA. They were mainly caused by CSPs misdirecting the intercepted
material and related communications data to the incorrect interception agency. In all
cases the mistake was identified by the receiving agency immediately (as their technical
systems were not expecting that particular product) and the material and data received
erroneously was deleted.
Failure to cancel interception
6.98 22% of the errors were caused by a failure to cancel interception. These were in the
main caused by staff in the interception agency or CSP failing to effect the cancellation
properly on technical systems. Because the interception is effected technically at both
ends (i.e. at the CSP and at the interception agency), if the CSP fails in its duty no significant
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