ISPs must RIP by end of 2001
- Added:
- Jul 31, 2000
But as soon as ISPs have the required technology installed, they are expected to hand over requested data to the government, in a kind of rolling implementation cycle. A spokeswoman for the Home Office confirmed: “We will be expecting them to use their powers as of that time.”
The Home Office said that it is currently in discussions with UK ISPs regarding the implementation of interception technologies and the spokesperson confirmed that these talk were happening “in a direct dialogue between the government and the ISP.”
The Home Office could not release any information on how many UK ISPs currently have interception capabilities, saying that it was a matter of national security.
Timescales for the RIP Act largely revolve around the authorisation of the Act's Codes of Practice, which determine the parameters for law enforcement agencies to summons communications.
In the next few weeks, the RIP Act enters a phase called the “informal consultation with industry players” wherein ISPs and the UK e-commerce industry will discuss what needs to be included in the final Codes of Practice. This phase may take a few months.
In the autumn, the Act will enter a formal public consultation phase. At this point, the UK public has 8 weeks to comment on the Codes. After the 8 weeks are over, the Codes will go before Parliament to obtain “affirmative resolution” which means they will become enforceable law. A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “this may happen by the end of the year, possibly the start of next year.”
In the meantime, ministers at the Home Office are responsible for ensuring that the RIP Act's surveillance and interception laws comply with the European Human Rights Act, which comes into effect on October 2.
