From Iceland — How Wiretapping Is Used In Iceland

How Wiretapping Is Used In Iceland

Published April 17, 2015

Andie Sophia Fontaine
Photo by
Paul Fontaine

Helgi Hrafn Gunnarsson, an MP for the Pirate Party, posed a formal question to the Ministry of the Interior on police wiretapping in 2008. Yesterday, Stundin reports, he shared what he learned with parliament.

A police warrant to tap someone’s phone was granted in 99.3% of all cases where one was requested. Of the 720 wiretap warrants police have asked for, in only five cases was the request denied.

“It is effectively the case that if a police officer asks for a [wiretap] warrant, they will get it,” Helgi said.

The use of wiretaps is also, in the vast majority of cases (65%), linked to drug investigations. In only 5.28% of cases was it used in connection with a sexual assault case, and in only 2.64% of cases in connection with human trafficking.

Furthermore, it does not seem that wiretapping is particularly effective in strengthening a case – only 40% of cases that involved wiretapping even make it to court, let alone result in a conviction.

Related:

Room For Improvement In Wiretapping

Lawyer Says Wiretaps In Legal Grey Area

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