Coming Soon: The REA Research Integrity and Encryption Toolkit
REA is launching a free toolkit to raise awareness of how UK surveillance law affects research ethics. From encrypted data to consent forms, this resource empowers researchers to navigate legal risks with ethical clarity and confidence.
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Coming Soon: The REA Research Integrity and Encryption Toolkit
Making digital ethics visible in UK research
The Research Ethics Association (REA) is proud to announce the upcoming launch of the REA Research Integrity and Encryption Toolkit—a free, open-access resource designed to raise awareness of how UK surveillance law intersects with research ethics, data protection, and academic freedom.
At the heart of this toolkit is a little-known but significant legal power: Section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA). Under this law, researchers in the UK can be compelled to hand over passwords or decrypted data—even when it was collected under strict ethical confidentiality. Refusal is a criminal offence.
While the law is rarely discussed in research settings, its implications are wide-reaching. From social scientists interviewing marginalised groups, to environmental researchers with politically sensitive findings, to STEM academics travelling with encrypted lab data—this affects more researchers than we realise.
Yet most UK institutions do not address RIPA transparently in their ethics training, application forms, or consent guidance. Researchers are left unaware of the legal risks and unprepared for the ethical tensions that may arise.
The REA toolkit addresses this gap head-on. It will include:
A clear, plain-language explainer of RIPA and Section 49
A practical booklet and zine for postgraduate researchers
Real and anonymised case studies exploring ethical dilemmas under surveillance
A training slide deck for departments, ethics committees and supervisors
A model institutional policy for those wishing to build RIPA awareness into their practice
A revised REA position statement affirming our commitment to ethical preparedness in a digital age
The toolkit is not about compliance—it’s about visibility, awareness, and ethical reflection. Our goal is to empower researchers, not just to protect their data, but to understand the laws that may shape the contexts of trust, consent, and participant safety.
The REA Research Integrity and Encryption Toolkit will be available as a free public resource via our website in the coming weeks. Institutions, research groups, supervisors, and postgraduate communities are warmly invited to use and share it.
For press queries or early access to the draft materials, please contact: