Snooper's charter: GCHQ will be licensed 'to hack a major town'

Legislation will permit security services to hack all phones and laptops in an entire town, as long as it is overseas

The security services are to receive a licence for hacking into the phones and laptops of a "major town" under the snooper's charter legislation, which reaches the House of Lords next week.

The broad nature of the hacking powers to be handed to GCHQ are disclosed in an obscure case study in a background Home Office document setting out the operational case for their use.