On December 5, 2014, the British Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) ruled that U.K. security services’ programs of mass surveillance are lawful and human rights compliant.  The IPT determined that in regard to the programs at issue, “the law gives individuals an adequate indication as to the circumstances in which and the conditions upon which the Intelligence Services are entitled to resort to interception, or to make use of intercept” and that there is no violation of Articles 8 (right to respect for private and family life) or 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights.  The IPT also noted that previous efforts to intercept some people’s communications might be illegal and it “left open for further argument the question as to whether prior hereto there has been such a breach.”  According to a news article, the “case was the first time that the country’s intelligence agencies had openly defended the programs.”  Privacy groups also said that they would appeal the decision at the European Court of Human Rights.