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Comment by aidenscott2016 | Hacker News Reader

aidenscott2016·

Can you link a source for that food inspector comment?

Not the OP, but it's likely referring to the Investigatory Powers Act which has a table summarising what officers of which government agencies can authorise and delegate access to what data:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/25/schedule/4/enac...

Where a "grade 6" staffer of the Food Standards Agency "(b) may authorise the obtaining or disclosure of data by a person who is not an authorised officer, or any other conduct by such a person, which enables or facilitates the obtaining of the communications data concerned, and (c) may, in particular, require a telecommunications operator who controls or provides a telecommunication system to obtain or disclose data relating to the use of a telecommunications service provided by another telecommunications operator in relation to that system."

Thank you.

That doesn't automatically mean that any inspection officer will have such power delegated to them, but it may enable it, and the dismal history of the UK govt with intrusive measures isn't reassuring (immediately after the passage of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (2005) it was used to remove an 82-year-old from a hall after he shouted "nonsense" during the Secretary of State's speech)

When the judicial and legislative systems have no oversight, we can assume the power is being used by every executive branch agency all the time.

> That doesn't automatically mean that any inspection officer will have such power delegated to them, but it may enable it

Some council authorities already used them to spy on families, to determine whether to extend such things as school placements and tax discounts.

You have to assume RIPA powers are abused as a matter of routine.

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