Police and MI5 admit illegally obtaining journalist's data

In proceedings before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Metropolitan Police Service, and MI5 have each admitted to unlawfully obtaining communications data from a prominent BBC journalist.  Vincent Kearney was BBC Northern Ireland’s Home Affairs Correspondent, specialising in the areas of politics and security, from 2006 to 2019.  On multiple occasions during this period, state bodies obtained significant quantities of his communications data, so that they could attempt to identify his journalistic sources.

In a hearing before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal this week, the Tribunal was told that:

• There were seven separate police or MI5 operations in which communications data was acquired over a period of more than ten years.
• In one operation, the Metropolitan Police Service obtained around two months of communications data.
• Another operation led to the Police Service of Northern Ireland obtaining information relating to 1,580 calls or texts he made and received.
• The Police Service of Northern Ireland made false assertions about Mr Kearney in their applications for access to his data.
• The Police Service of Northern Ireland created a "profile" on him, which included the names of his wife and mother-in-law and details about his vehicles and his family.

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal has reserved its judgment.

Jude Bunting KC acts for Vincent Kearney and the BBC, leading Jonathan Scherbel-Ball and instructed by Ciaran O’Shiel, A&L Goodbody.

For further coverage, see the Guardian, the BBC, and Computer Weekly.