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An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20190516/06282042219/after-five-year-legal-battle-top-judges-rule-that-uks-spying-activities-can-be-challenged-ordinary-courts.shtml

The digital rights group Privacy International has won a major victory against UK government surveillance after a five-year legal battle. One of the many shocking revelations of Edward Snowden was that the UK security and intelligence services break into computers and mobile phones on a massive scale. Privacy International challenged this "bulk" surveillance at the UK's Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), the "judicial body which operates independently of government to provide a right of redress for anyone who believes they have been a victim of unlawful action by a public authority using covert investigative techniques". In February 2016, the IPT dismissed Privacy International's challenge, ruling that:

the UK government may use sweeping 'general warrants' to engage in computer hacking of thousands or even millions of devices, without any approval from by a judge or reasonable grounds for suspicion. The Government argued that it would be lawful in principle to use a single warrant signed off by a Minister (not a judge) to hack every mobile phone in a UK city -- and the IPT agreed with the Government.

[...]Undeterred, the digital rights group applied for and was granted permission to appeal to the UK's Supreme Court, which has now ruled that IPT decisions can indeed be challenged in the courts (pdf).

[...]Privacy International intends to take advantage of the new judgment immediately to tackle the UK's bulk surveillance revealed by Snowden:

Today's ruling paves the way for Privacy International's challenge to the UK Government's use of bulk computer hacking warrants. Our challenge has been delayed for years by the Government's persistent attempt to protect the IPT's decisions from scrutiny. We are heartened that our case will now go forward.

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