From The Home Office Website...
This is a bit long winded, but I Think it's rather salient.
Or go to http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/ripa and follow the links on the left hand table.
"Interception
Use of interception
Interception is strictly regulated to ensure that its use is proportionate to the activity it is deployed against and in circumstances when required information can’t reasonably be obtained by other means.
Who can use interception?
Intelligence services, the police and other law enforcement agencies such as HM Revenue & Customs can use interception if they have a warrant signed by the Secretary of State."
"Communications data
Obtaining and disclosing data
A strict necessity test must be passed before any communications data can be obtained.
Who can obtain communications data?
A range of public authorities can lawfully obtain communications data, including:
law enforcement agencies - such as the police, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and HM Revenue & Customs
emergency services – such as ambulance services, fire authorities and HM Coastguard
other public authorities – such as the Financial Services Authority and the Department for Transport
‘Authorisations’ to obtain communications data are granted by a ‘designated person’ within each of these organisations. Parliament has specified different levels of seniority required to be a ‘designated person’ for different public authorities. For example, the police ranking required is primarily ‘Superintendent’ and for ambulance services it’s ‘Director of Operations’.
All authorities with permission to obtain communications data do so in accordance with a code of practice, and all activity to obtain communications data is independently monitored by the Interception of Communications Commissioner who reports to Parliament annually.
Permission to obtain communications data
A designated person may only grant an authorisation to obtain communications data if they consider it necessary, proportionate and for a reason available to their public authority whether relating to:
the interests of national security
the interests of public safety
protecting economic well-being of the UK
protecting public health
preventing or detecting crime or preventing disorder
preventing or mitigating death or injury or any damage to a person’s physical
or mental health in an emergency
assessing or collecting any tax, duty, levy or other charge payable to a government department
assist investigations into alleged miscarrages of justice
to identify a person who has died or unable to identify themselves because of a condition not attributable to a crime and to obtain details of the next of kin of such a person or to gather information about the causes of their death or condition
Obtaining the data
The designated person may give notice to a communications service provider (CSP) requiring them to disclose specific communications data or grant an authorisation to officials to acquire specific communications data.
Where notice is given, the CSP must comply with the notice within a reasonably practable time and supply data where it is reasonably practable to do so.
If a CSP fails to disclose the required communications data then the Secretary of State may take civil proceedings against them, which may result in the issue of, inter alia, an injunction which would have the effect of compelling the provision of data.
A notice must immediately be cancelled if the reasons for which it was granted are no longer valid."
Don't see ANYTHING about corporations, companies or private individuals being permitted to do ANY of the above.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
