Less than 1 in 100 requests to use data gathering powers last year were made by local authorities, a report by the Commissioner for Interception has revealed.
Of the 514,608 notices and authorisations under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) in 2013, less than 1% were made by local authorities.
Some 121 local authorities reported never using their powers to acquire communications data.
A total of 132 local authorities reported using their powers in 2013, with Birmingham City Council, and Bromley and Enfield LBCs, topping the table with 87 each.
The majority of requests (88%) were made by police forces and law enforcement agencies.
But campaigner Richard Greenhill said: ‘The commissioner failed to note that local authorities can also completely bypass RIPA and judicial oversight using their benefits and new housing fraud powers.’
