UK Grants Police Hacking Rights

The polite term for it is "remote searching," and British police and intelligence services are allowed to do it without a warrant, according to a report issued by the London Times. In fact, the ability to legally conduct such searches has existed since the mid-1990s, but has come to light anew following a Brussels edict permitting EU police access to UK computers as well.

It allows police or MI5 officers who may be hundreds of miles away to examine covertly the hard drive of someone’s PC at his home, office or hotel room.

Material gathered in this way includes the content of all e-mails, web-browsing habits and instant messaging.

Under the Brussels edict, police across the EU have been given the green light to expand the implementation of a rarely used power involving warrantless intrusive surveillance of private property. The strategy will allow French, German and other EU forces to ask British officers to hack into someone’s UK computer and pass over any material gleaned.

Human rights defenders and some parliament members are outraged about the latitude of the plan. In the United States, the government can legally check citizens' computers under some specific circumstances.

One of these includes border crossings, where Department of Homeland Security police do not have to offer a reason for hauling away computers, cell phones or other electronic devices.

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