Credit: PA Private intelligence companies are using phone networks in the Channel Islands to conduct spying operations, according to a major investigation. The allegation, made by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and The Guardian, is that those working in the corporate spy business are exploiting weaknesses in Guernsey and Jersey’s telecoms infrastructure. They suggest the Channel Islands are seen as a “soft route” into the UK, with attacks targeting individuals there, as well as in the US, Europe and Africa. It is claimed the use of a messaging system called SS7 via access points known as “global titles” that can be leased from Channel Islands telecoms companies give private intelligence firms greater opportunities to spy, compared to doing so via UK telecoms companies.