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| Version 12 | Version 13 |
|---|---|
| T-Mobile staff sold personal data | T-Mobile staff sold personal data |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Staff at mobile phone company T-Mobile passed on millions of records from thousands of customers to third party brokers, the firm has confirmed. | Staff at mobile phone company T-Mobile passed on millions of records from thousands of customers to third party brokers, the firm has confirmed. |
| Details emerged after the firm alerted the information commissioner, who said his office was preparing a prosecution. | Details emerged after the firm alerted the information commissioner, who said his office was preparing a prosecution. |
| Christopher Graham said brokers had sold the data to other phone firms, who then cold-called the customers as their contracts were due to expire. | Christopher Graham said brokers had sold the data to other phone firms, who then cold-called the customers as their contracts were due to expire. |
| A T-Mobile spokesman said the data had been sold "without our knowledge". | A T-Mobile spokesman said the data had been sold "without our knowledge". |
| Mr Graham, who was appointed earlier this year as the watchdog responsible for safeguarding personal information, said the data breach was the biggest of its kind. | Mr Graham, who was appointed earlier this year as the watchdog responsible for safeguarding personal information, said the data breach was the biggest of its kind. |
| He added that the case illustrated why there needed to be a prison sentence to prevent people from selling private data to third parties. | He added that the case illustrated why there needed to be a prison sentence to prevent people from selling private data to third parties. |
| Mr Graham confirmed his office was preparing a prosecution against those responsible for selling on T-Mobile data. | Mr Graham confirmed his office was preparing a prosecution against those responsible for selling on T-Mobile data. |
| Justice Minister Michael Wills told the BBC that there was a "strong case" for introducing custodial sentences to prevent the trade in illegal data. | Justice Minister Michael Wills told the BBC that there was a "strong case" for introducing custodial sentences to prevent the trade in illegal data. |
| Search warrants | Search warrants |
| Initially Mr Graham had said he would not name the operator involved as it could prejudice a prosecution. | Initially Mr Graham had said he would not name the operator involved as it could prejudice a prosecution. |
| But after phone firms 02, Vodafone, Orange, 3 and Virgin said they were not the subject of his investigation, T-Mobile confirmed it had been. | But after phone firms 02, Vodafone, Orange, 3 and Virgin said they were not the subject of his investigation, T-Mobile confirmed it had been. |
| ANALYSIS Danny Shaw, BBC home affairs correspondent | ANALYSIS Danny Shaw, BBC home affairs correspondent |
| The increasing use of computers and memory sticks to store and transfer data has fuelled what the information commissioner described in 2006 as a pernicious and widespread trade. | The increasing use of computers and memory sticks to store and transfer data has fuelled what the information commissioner described in 2006 as a pernicious and widespread trade. |
| Addresses, phone bills, bank statements and health records - they can all be obtained for a price. | Addresses, phone bills, bank statements and health records - they can all be obtained for a price. |
| The Information Commissioner's report estimated that you could trace the name and address of a telephone caller from their phone number for £75 and check someone's criminal record for £500. | The Information Commissioner's report estimated that you could trace the name and address of a telephone caller from their phone number for £75 and check someone's criminal record for £500. |
| Suppliers obtain information through two routes - by paying insiders to pass it on or by pretending to be someone who has a lawful need for it - known as blagging. | Suppliers obtain information through two routes - by paying insiders to pass it on or by pretending to be someone who has a lawful need for it - known as blagging. |
| In August a civilian worker at Essex Police was fined for accessing police intelligence databases 800 times and passing on mobile phone records. | In August a civilian worker at Essex Police was fined for accessing police intelligence databases 800 times and passing on mobile phone records. |
| Mr Graham said investigators had been working with the company after it reported suspicions of an unlawful trade in customers' data. | Mr Graham said investigators had been working with the company after it reported suspicions of an unlawful trade in customers' data. |
| The team from the Information Commissioner's office obtained search warrants to enter premises and have also interviewed employees. | The team from the Information Commissioner's office obtained search warrants to enter premises and have also interviewed employees. |
| Mr Graham said: "Many people will have wondered why and how they are being contacted by someone they do not know just before their existing phone contract is about to expire. | Mr Graham said: "Many people will have wondered why and how they are being contacted by someone they do not know just before their existing phone contract is about to expire. |
| "We are considering the evidence with a view to prosecuting those responsible and I am keen to go much further and close down the entire unlawful industry in personal data. | "We are considering the evidence with a view to prosecuting those responsible and I am keen to go much further and close down the entire unlawful industry in personal data. |
| "But, we will only be able to do this if blaggers and others who trade in personal data face the threat of a prison sentence. | "But, we will only be able to do this if blaggers and others who trade in personal data face the threat of a prison sentence. |
| "The existing paltry fines are simply not enough to deter people from engaging in this lucrative criminal activity. The threat of jail, not fines, will prove a stronger deterrent." | "The existing paltry fines are simply not enough to deter people from engaging in this lucrative criminal activity. The threat of jail, not fines, will prove a stronger deterrent." |
| 'Exploiting data' | 'Exploiting data' |
| The Ministry of Justice has been consulting on tougher penalties for illegal trade in personal information. | The Ministry of Justice has been consulting on tougher penalties for illegal trade in personal information. |
| The Data Protection Act bans the selling on of data without prior permission from the customer and a fine of £5,000 can be imposed following a successful prosecution. | The Data Protection Act bans the selling on of data without prior permission from the customer and a fine of £5,000 can be imposed following a successful prosecution. |
| T-MOBILE FACTS The UK's fourth largest mobile phone companyHas an estimated 16.6 million UK customers - a 15% share of the marketUK workforce of 6,500Subsidiary of German firm Deutsche TelekomPlans to merge its UK business with that of OrangeThis would create a mobile phone giant with 28.4 million customers | T-MOBILE FACTS The UK's fourth largest mobile phone companyHas an estimated 16.6 million UK customers - a 15% share of the marketUK workforce of 6,500Subsidiary of German firm Deutsche TelekomPlans to merge its UK business with that of OrangeThis would create a mobile phone giant with 28.4 million customers |
| But Mr Graham said that the mobile phone case suggested that people were "driving a coach and horses" through the legislation. | But Mr Graham said that the mobile phone case suggested that people were "driving a coach and horses" through the legislation. |
| He added: "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. | He added: "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." | "Personal data has value and there are people out there exploiting it." |
| Justice Minister Michael Wills said the government was looking at bringing in tougher penalties to deter the illegal trade in personal information. | Justice Minister Michael Wills said the government was looking at bringing in tougher penalties to deter the illegal trade in personal information. |
| He added: "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." | He added: "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." |
| But Conservative justice spokeswoman Eleanor Laing said: "The government's refusal to establish a strong privacy watchdog is nothing short of scandalous. | But Conservative justice spokeswoman Eleanor Laing said: "The government's refusal to establish a strong privacy watchdog is nothing short of scandalous. |
| FROM THE PM PROGRAMME More from PM | FROM THE PM PROGRAMME More from PM |
| "We need a beefed-up information commissioner with a full set of punitive strings to his bow, including the power to fine organisations." | "We need a beefed-up information commissioner with a full set of punitive strings to his bow, including the power to fine organisations." |
| Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the "shameful incident" proved that stiffer penalties "cannot be introduced soon enough". | Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the "shameful incident" proved that stiffer penalties "cannot be introduced soon enough". |
| He added: "This sorry episode questions the government's wisdom in getting communications providers to hoard increasing amounts of information about us." | He added: "This sorry episode questions the government's wisdom in getting communications providers to hoard increasing amounts of information about us." |
| 'Proactively supported' | 'Proactively supported' |
| A spokesman for T-Mobile said the sale of the data had been "deeply regrettable" and that it had been asked to keep it secret to avoid any criminal prosecutions being prejudiced. | A spokesman for T-Mobile said the sale of the data had been "deeply regrettable" and that it had been asked to keep it secret to avoid any criminal prosecutions being prejudiced. |
| He said: "T-Mobile takes the protection of customer information seriously. | He said: "T-Mobile takes the protection of customer information seriously. |
| "When it became apparent that contract renewal information was being passed on to third parties without our knowledge, we alerted the Information Commissioner's Office. | "When it became apparent that contract renewal information was being passed on to third parties without our knowledge, we alerted the Information Commissioner's Office. |
| The spokesman added that the company and the ICO "working together" had identified the source of the breach and that T-Mobile had "proactively supported the ICO to help stamp out what is a problem for the whole industry". | The spokesman added that the company and the ICO "working together" had identified the source of the breach and that T-Mobile had "proactively supported the ICO to help stamp out what is a problem for the whole industry". |
| He added: "We were therefore surprised at the way in which these statements were made to the BBC today." | He added: "We were therefore surprised at the way in which these statements were made to the BBC today." |