UK Pushing for Stronger Data Protection Laws as T-Mobile Admits Employees Sold Customer Personal Data
United Kingdom information commissioner Christopher Graham, and Justice Minister Michael Wills are calling for strickter data protection laws with jail sentences for violators.
This comes in the wake of a revelation that employees of mobile phone operator T-Mobile have been caught selling customer records to third parties. It’s being called the largest data breach of its kind in the UK. Basically employees were taking copies of customer data, including name, phone number and the expiration date of their
T-Mobile service contract. They were then selling that data to other phone companies and third parties, who would call up the T-Mobile customers prior to their service expiration date, and try to sell them an alternative mobile phone service plan.
Mr Graham intends to put a stop to the sale of personal data, but says that stiffer penalties are required. Currently the UK Data Protection Act imposes a £5,000 fine if a person is convicted of selling personal data without the prior permission from the customer.
“This is not just about mobile phone companies. It’s about private investigators, it’s about blagging information from databases for use to put the frighteners on witnesses, attempt to knobble juries, pursue ‘nasty neighbour’ disputes, interfere in the family courts, difficult divorce settlements. Personal data has value and there are people out there exploiting it.” said Graham.
Justice Minister Michael Wills said the UK government was looking at imposing tougher penalties, including jail sentences, to deter the illegal buying and selling of personal data. “Given the scale of public concern about privacy of their data, I think we have to look at going further and custodial sentences clearly have to be a part of that.”
Read the BBC article here.
Here is a link to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office website.