Human rights group Privacy International has announced it is challenging the British government for unlawful conduct during an investigation into the export of surveillance tool FinFisher. The tool is designed to monitor communications and collect hard drive data and is capable of conducting live surveillance via webcams. Privacy International says Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) illegally declined to provide information related to its investigation of the technology’s shipment to countries with “poor human rights records.” The group has filed a judicial review application at the High Court in London. If the legal action is successful, “it could set a precedent for other cases in the UK,” Slate reports.
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