The PSNI made 21 applications for communications data to identify journalists' sources without recognising the "overriding public interest" in protecting their confidentiality. The police force maintained a secret register containing the phone numbers of over 1,000 journalists and others, as part of a "defensive operation" to identify PSNI staff who had spoken to journalists. There were concerns about a PSNI operation to monitor the social media posts of investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre.
The Tribunal plans a seven-day public hearing to address Apple's and PI's challenges regarding the UK order impacting iCloud's security, based on assumed facts.
