Electronic Surveillance
(asked on 17th June 2014) - View Source
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she authorised the UK's classification of (a) Google, (b) Facebook, (c) webmail services and (d) other companies that operate in the UK as external communications.
This question was answered on 1st September 2014
External Communication is defined within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 and the statutory Interception of Communications Code of Practice which was approved by Parliament and came into force on 1 July 2002. The Government has no present plans to amend the definition of external communication.
Under RIPA, interception warrants are issued by the Secretary of State.