Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to the Home Affairs Select Committee report on RIPA, said:

“Labour has said for some time that RIPA needs to be reviewed - that is why we insisted on a statutory review as part of the Government’s legislation on data retention in July.

“The law hasn’t kept pace with advancement in technology and it needs to be proportionate. Access to communications data is vital to the police and intelligence agencies in their fight against terrorism, child abuse and other serious crimes. But it is also important that there are strong checks and balances in place to ensure this data is not used inappropriately.

“That’s why we need to implement the review by David Anderson which the Labour Party called for earlier this year, which must look at worrying reports that journalists’ data is being accessed to uncover their sources. Other parts of the law such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act have extra safeguards in them to protect a free press - there should be similar safeguards for communications too. Journalists should not be above the law, but nor should investigative powers be used in a way that has a chilling effect on free speech.”

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