The UK is one of the most effective and longest running surveillance states so this should not be a surprise to anyone.
Whether they're 'effective' is unclear but that this has been a long-growing trend is clear and with that I wonder why this post was downvoted.
> most effective
I mean its not. Plus with the court backlogs rising, the chances of you getting convicted are rapidly diminishing
Well, Orwell wrote about what he knew.