ECHR rules UK GCHQ violated privacy of two foreign nationals

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that two foreign nationals living overseas had their privacy violated by the mass surveillance programme run by the UK's intelligence, security and cyber agency, GCHQ. The two plaintiffs, Joshua Wieder and Claudio Guarnieri believed that their communications were intercepted by GCHQ as part of its bulk interception of data. Despite being refused the right to seek redress in Britain, they took their case to Strasbourg, where the ECHR found a violation based on a broader 2021 ruling against the UK's historic practice of intercepting and collecting vast amounts of data.

Dr Ilia Siatitsa, Programme Director and Senior Legal Officer for Privacy International, said: "This judgment signifies a significant milestone for the safeguarding of privacy and the enjoyment of human rights in the digital era. The ever-expanding capabilities of technology have empowered states to spy far beyond their traditional borders, granting them unprecedented access to individuals’ information and lives. States can no longer assume digital surveillance comes without consequences or that they can evade accountability by targeting people outside their borders. Today’s ruling from the European Court of Human Rights emphatically underscores that security and intelligence agencies must be held responsible for the effects of their actions no matter where they occur."

Additional reporting in the Financial Times (£).