PSNI spent £1m accessing people’s mobile data

The money was paid out to mobile phone companies for access to data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).

The police accessed “identity information relating to a person, apparatus or location e.g. calling line identity and mobile phone cell site location details; data identifying or selecting apparatus e.g. routing information; and ‘packets’ of data which indicate which communications attach to which communications” amongst other details.

Over the past five years the total PSNI expenditure on the information was £1,075,517; £312,304.18 in 2006/7; £176,694.86 in 2007/8; £167,670.75 in 2008/9; £236,246/96 in 2009/10; and £182,600.31. The figures include VAT on all communications data received.

The PSNI said the money was spent on gaining communications data under Chapter II of Part I of RIPA.

Under Chapter II the PSNI may be authorised to access our mobile phone details in the interests of national security; for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime or of preventing disorder; in the interests of the economic well-being of the United Kingdom; in the interests of public safety; for the purpose of protecting public health; for the purpose of assessing or collecting any tax, duty, levy or other imposition, contribution or charge payable to a government department; for the purpose, in an emergency, of preventing death or injury or any damage to a person’s physical or mental health, or of mitigating any injury or damage to a person’s physical or mental health.