Human rights advocates hope the court will rule in their favor, in part because such legal challenges have been successful in the past. The European Court of Justice, another institution, struck down transatlantic plans to allow private companies to share personal data on individuals last year. "The U.S. is trying to rein in bulk collection, or what we might call mass surveillance," Palow said. "The U.K. is going in the opposite direction, enshrining the ability for mass surveillance in law." The debate about the Investigatory Powers Bill has been focused on preventing crimes, but the underlying rhetoric has worried human rights advocates.

Source: Washington Post October 06, 2016 10:12 UTC