CH201720 - How to do a compliance check: using the internet for risk assessment and research: directed surveillance authorisation under RIPA

Surveillance, for the purpose of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), includes monitoring, observing or listening to persons, their movements, conversations or other activities and communications. It may be conducted with or without the assistance of a surveillance device and includes the recording of any information obtained.

Merely looking once to see whether a website contains relevant material is highly unlikely to amount to surveillance, looking at a website repeatedly or creating detailed records of its contents is likely to amount to surveillance.

(This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)