Journalist Wins Big Against State Spying | Belfast News

A major win for journalism: Irish reporter Vincent Kearney is set to receive £20,000 from the PSNI and MI5 after a tribunal ruled they illegally spied on him for over a decade—collecting personal data, family details, and communications. This case, tied to similar rulings against journalists Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney, exposes systemic law-breaking by intelligence agencies targeting sources. Kearney sees it as a crucial victory for press freedom, highlighting how agencies violated legal and proportional standards to undermine journalism. Seven unlawful surveillance operations were documented, including one that amassed over 1,500 of his calls and texts—possibly the most targeted journalist in Northern Ireland. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7ab874b02942d58a