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The Guardian - UK

World

Tom Burgis

Is surveillance by private operators legal in the UK?

A person with a long-lens camera pointing forwards — The private intelligence industry has no dedicated regulator and there is no single surveillance law. Photograph: Isopix/Shutterstock

The surveillance industry operates in the shadows. For a big enough fee, former members of the special forces, intelligence agencies and police forces conduct sophisticated operations for multinationals, oligarchs and global law firms. Jealous spouses and insurance companies can hire investigators to snoop for a few hundred pounds. Some of the methods used seem intrusive, even unethical – but are they unlawful?

Is there a law that covers surveillance?

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