UK Spy Agency MI5 Ordered to Pay Damages Over Journalist Surveillance

A specialist court overseeing UK spy agencies ruled MI5 and Northern Ireland's police unlawfully seized journalist Vincent Kearney's phone data across seven operations from 2006 to 2018. Each agency must pay £10,000 — the first such damages order against MI5. The police chief accepted the ruling and apologised. The decision sets a precedent for press freedom accountability.