Regulation of Investigatory Power Act 2000

From Seenoevil

This law was introduced to take account of the growth of the Internet and the issue of widely available strong encryption. The full bill is available here.

Part III of the act can require people to supply the cryptographic keys to authorized officals. Failure to disclose encrypted traffic (or the relevant key) is punishable by up to two years in prison. Part III of the act still requires activation by a ministerial order before attaining legal force, however in May 2006, the Home office was reported to be looking to activate this legislation now.[1]

The act can be used by certain government officials on the grounds of national security, preventing or detecting crime, preventing disorder, public safety, protecting public health, or in the interests of the economic well-being of the United Kingdom. After expansion in 2003, the list now includes job centres, local councils, and the Chief Inspector of Schools.