Vodafone has warned that the British government would have secret “backdoor” access to its equipment and UK services under proposed surveillance laws.
Vodafone said the Investigatory Powers Bill — dubbed the “Snoopers’ charter” — risked “significantly undermining trust” in British telecoms groups.
In particular, Vodafone is worried about the possibility for security forces to install equipment to tap into its network and the devices used by its customers, which it described as “a major imposition on the freedom of an operator”.
In a submission to the joint committee on the draft bill, Vodafone questioned whether “this intrusive power is necessary at all”.
The company will add its voice to widespread criticism of the proposals, with a particularly vitriolic attack by Apple last month accusing the government of potentially causing “serious international conflicts” and weakening consumer security through the proposals.
The government wants to update legislation that allows police and security forces access to communications data to aid their investigations into crime and terrorism.
Existing regulations are seen as inadequate, because they do not cover forms of electronic communication such as instant messaging, which is increasingly preferred over calls and text messages.
The proposals will mean that website browsing histories will also need to be stored, and allow security services and police to hack into computers and phones. Companies would need to be able to intercept and collect personal data on their networks.
Vodafone acknowledges that legislation is needed to help maintain national security, but wants a balance between protecting the UK and ensuring the “vast majority of law abiding members of society have the right for their private information to be protected”.
Vodafone is concerned that telecoms groups will be asked to help intercept communications on digital messaging services, which it said would mean “installing a complex new array of technology requiring us to build systems to capture data for which we have no business purpose”.
The group warned that the risk for its efforts to be “ineffective, inefficient and retain too much or indeed too little data” was substantial, and made even more difficult given the encryption technologies used by internet communications providers.
Any keys to decrypt third-party communications would create “a massive single point of cyber vulnerability”, according to Vodafone, but more broadly mean a “high degree of privacy intrusion”.
A “double-lock” system of ministerial authorization of intercept warrants alongside a panel of seven judicial commissioners given power of veto has been proposed.
But Vodafone is also worried that the proposed system of oversight of the law would lead to “complexity and confusion”, given the potential role of the Information Commissioner’s Office alongside a new Investigatory Powers Commissioner.
