In the UK, public authorities wanting to access past communications data needed to obtain a warrant from the interior Minister or permission from a senior police, defense, or customs authority. Robert , director of freedom house, supporting such privileges in western countries and discouraging such privileges in middle eastern countries, opined that such privileges were allowed in the US and other western countries due to high standards of human rights, freedom of expression, and due process, but Saudi Arabic and other middle eastern countries lacked the same standards.