"The UK is secretly testing a controversial web snooping tool", 11 March 2021

For the last two years police and internet companies across the UK have been quietly building and testing surveillance technology that could log and store the web browsing of every single person in the country. The tests, which are being run by two unnamed internet service providers, the Home Office and the National Crime Agency, are being conducted under controversial surveillance laws introduced at the end of 2016. If successful, data collection systems could be rolled out nationally, creating one of the most powerful and controversial surveillance tools used by any democratic nation...

... [Open Rights Group policy manager Heather] Burns says the ICR trial appeared to require internet service providers to “collect the haystack in order to identify two needles”. She adds that it is unclear what data was collected by the trial, whether what was collected in practice went beyond the scope of the trial, or any of its specifics. “This is a fairly staggering lack of transparency around mass data collection and retention.”

The specific nature of the trial is a closely guarded secret. It is unclear what data is being collected, which companies are involved and how the information is being used... Of the UK’s major internet providers only Vodafone confirmed that it has not been involved in any trials that involve storing people’s internet data. Spokespeople for BT, Virgin Media and Sky refused to comment on any measures around the Investigatory Powers Act. Mobile network operator Three did not respond to a request for comment. Smaller internet service providers say that they have not been included in any trials.

Industry sources say that service providers are hampered by the law saying they can’t talk about data they are collecting. Such secrecy, sources argue, risks the development and scrutiny of the systems.