ICO: Government shouldn’t collect all comms data
Is fighting crime and terrorism a sufficient excuse for a squeeze on the rights of individuals? The ICO doesn’t think so.
The Information Commissioner's Office has said that fighting crime is not sufficient justification for the collection of all communications data from companies like ISPs.
Proposals from the Home Office under its Interception Modernisation Programme' would mean that law enforcement agencies could access electronic data kept by communication service providers (CSPs) for the purposes of fighting crime.
The ICO said in a statement that although it recognised that comms data was very valuable in preventing and detecting crime as well as the prosecution of offenders, it wasn't a good enough reason to collect all data from all CSPs and their subscribers.
It said that it was concerned about the distinction that needed to be made between traffic and content data, and that there were possible gaps in legislation that could affect the rights of individuals as well as the roles and responsibilities of CSPs.
However, the ICO said it was pleased that the government had scrapped plans on storing all data in a single database, and that it was being kept informed about the development of the programme.
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
-
How the UK is leading Europe at AI-driven manufacturingIn-depth A new report puts the country on top of the charts in adopting machine learning on the factory floor in several critical measures
-
US data center power demand forecast to hit 106GW by 2035, report warnsNews BloombergNEF research reveals a sharp 36% jump in energy forecasts as "hyperscale" projects reshape the American grid
-
23andMe 'failed to take basic steps' to safeguard customer dataNews The ICO has strong criticism for the way the genetic testing company responded to a 2023 breach.
-
Cyber attacks have rocked UK retailers – here's how you can stay safeNews Following recent attacks on retailers, the NCSC urges other firms to make sure they don't fall victim too
-
ICO admits it's too slow dealing with complaints – so it's eying up automation to cut staff workloadsNews The UK's data protection authority has apologized for being slow to respond to data protection complaints, saying it's been overwhelmed by increased workloads.
-
AI recruitment tools are still a privacy nightmare – here's how the ICO plans to crack down on misuseNews The ICO has issued guidance for recruiters and AI developers after finding that many are mishandling data
-
“You must do better”: Information Commissioner John Edwards calls on firms to beef up support for data breach victimsNews Companies need to treat victims with swift, practical action, according to the ICO
-
LinkedIn backtracks on AI training rules after user backlashNews UK-based LinkedIn users will now get the same protections as those elsewhere in Europe
-
UK's data protection watchdog deepens cooperation with National Crime AgencyNews The two bodies want to improve the support given to organizations experiencing cyber attacks and ransomware recovery
-
ICO slams Electoral Commission over security failuresNews The Electoral Commission has been reprimanded for poor security practices, including a failure to install security updates and weak password policies