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MI5 Admits It ‘Unlawfully’ Obtained Data From Ex-BBC NI Journalist
MI5 admitted unlawful access to Vincent Kearney's communications data in 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2018 during police investigations, breaching human rights protections.
- MI5 has acknowledged that it illegally accessed the communications records of ex-BBC journalist Vincent Kearney in the years 2006 and 2009, as revealed before an Investigatory Powers Tribunal session in London.
- This admission followed legal action by Kearney after reports suggested public bodies including the Metropolitan Police, PSNI, and Durham Constabulary had spied on him due to his 2011 Spotlight documentary work.
- The Metropolitan Police acknowledged twice obtaining and storing Kearney's communications data in 2012 and providing some to Durham Constabulary in 2018, while PSNI conceded illegality in their use of the data.
- Amnesty International's Northern Ireland director Patrick Corrigan called MI5’s actions 'seriously and sustained illegality' and described the unlawful surveillance as profoundly alarming for press freedom.
- The case underscores urgent demands for openness, responsibility, and a halt to illegal surveillance of journalists' communications, emphasizing society’s interest in accessing truthful information and safeguarding the confidentiality of journalistic sources.
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MI5 Admits It ‘Unlawfully’ Obtained Data From Ex-BBC Journalist
MI5 has admitted it “unlawfully” obtained the communications data of a former BBC journalist in Northern Ireland, a tribunal has heard. The “unprecedented” concessions relating to Vincent Kearney came in a letter to the BBC and Mr Kearney ahead of an Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) hearing in London. The tribunal has been examining claims that investigative reporters in Northern Ireland were subjected to unlawful covert intelligence by the p…
·New York, United States
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Evening Standard+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
MI5 admits it ‘unlawfully’ obtained data from ex-BBC journalist
Vincent Kearney complained to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.
·London, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left3Leaning Right1Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Center
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
60% Center
L 30%
C 60%
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