Decision details

The Cabinet is asked to endorse an updated Corporate Policy and Protocol on the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) by council services.

RESOLVED:

The proposed new Corporate Policy and Protocol on the application of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) (Annex 1 to the report) to include the added section at paragraph 12 including the use of RIPA regarding social media and online selling platforms and the added section at paragraph 16.1 including how the policy complies with Data Protection legislation was agreed.

Reason for Decision:

The inclusion of a section within the Corporate Policy and Protocol provided an updated framework to ensure that the Council continued to comply fully with the requirements of RIPA. In line with the changing market place for goods and services, the way Trading Standards investigated legal compliance had also changed and often involved the use of social media and online selling platforms.

The Corporate Policy and Protocol on the use of RIPA was a public document and the introduction of new data protection legislation and the requirement to be open and transparent in how the Council processed personal data had led to the requirement to include a section within the Policy.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Environment Select Committee]