Editing MI5 (section)

===Surveillance===
In 2001, after the [[September 11 attacks]] in the US, MI5 started collecting bulk telephone communications data under a little understood general power of the [[Telecommunications Act 1984]] (instead of the [[Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000]] which would have brought independent oversight and regulation). This was kept secret until announced by the [[Home Secretary]] in 2015.<ref name=BBC-20151105>{{Cite web|first=Gordon|last=Corera|author-link=Gordon Corera|date=5 November 2015|url=https://www.BBC.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34731735|title=How and why MI5 kept phone data spy programme secret|publisher=[[BBC News]]|access-date=9 November 2015}}</ref><ref name=Telegraph-20151104>{{Cite web|first=Tom|last=Whitehead|date=4 November 2015|url=https://www.Telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11976008/MI5-and-GCHQ-secretly-bulk-collecting-British-publics-phone-and-email-records-for-years-Theresa-May-reveals.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.Telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11976008/MI5-and-GCHQ-secretly-bulk-collecting-British-publics-phone-and-email-records-for-years-Theresa-May-reveals.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=MI5 and GCHQ secretly bulk collecting British public's phone and email records for years, Theresa May reveals|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=9 November 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.TheRegister.co.uk/2015/11/09/hawktalk_wip/|title=Here's the little-known legal loophole that permitted mass surveillance in the UK|website=www.TheRegister.co.uk|publisher=[[The Register]]|date=9 November 2015|access-date=9 November 2015}}</ref> This power was replaced by the [[Investigatory Powers Act 2016]]<ref>{{Cite web|year=2016|title=Investigatory Powers Act 2016|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/25/schedule/10/paragraph/99|website=Legislation.gov.uk}}</ref> which introduced new surveillance powers overseen by the Investigatory Powers Commission (IPC) it introduces.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Investigatory Powers Bill|url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7518/CBP-7518.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323143708/http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7518/CBP-7518.pdf |archive-date=23 March 2016 |url-status=live|website=House of Commons Library}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=30 October 2015 Investigatory Powers Commission factsheet|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/473744/Factsheet-Investigatory_Powers_Commission.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725233305/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/473744/Factsheet-Investigatory_Powers_Commission.pdf |archive-date=25 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2006, parliamentarian [[Norman Baker]] accused the British Government of "hoarding information about people who pose no danger to this country", after it emerged that MI5 holds secret files on 272,000 individuals, equivalent to one in 160 adults.  It had previously been revealed that a '[[traffic light]]' system operates:<ref>{{Cite Hansard|speaker=[[Jack Straw]]|position=[[Home Secretary]]|date=25 February 1998|house=[[House of Commons]]|title=Security Service files|url=https://Publications.Parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo980225/debtext/80225-16.htm#80225-16_spnew1|column_start=346|column_end=348}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Hansard|house=[[House of Commons]]|title=MI5 files|url=https://Publications.Parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo060605/text/60605w0055.htm#0606078000026|date=5 June 2006|column=278W}}</ref>
*Green: active; about 10% of files
*Amber: enquiries prohibited, further information may be added; about 46% of files
*Red: enquiries prohibited, substantial information may not be added; about 44% of files.