Irish Officials Intercept Domestic Phone, Internet Traffic

Everybody wants into the snooping game

Mobile phone communications are the most commonly sought data by the gardaí, the Defence Forces, and the Revenue Commissioners, with Department of Justice figures showing an average of 34 requests are granted daily.

For the first time, demands for details on internet traffic have overtaken orders to obtain records of calls made on landlines.

In 2011, there were 12,675 requests made by the three organisations authorised under the 2011 Data Retention Act or the earlier European directive.

These obliged the communications' companies to hand over electronic data on when a call was made, who was involved and, in the case of mobile phones and internet traffic, where the device was when the transmission happened. It does not cover bugging or tapping.