ICO investigates T-Mobile

T-MOBILE IS UNDER investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for allegedly selling customer data illegally.

The ICO has been in touch with the mobile network operator after the company reported that employees allegedly sold details relating to subscribers' mobile phone contracts.

A T-Mobile spokesperson said that the company informed the ICO as soon as it discovered that customer contract information was being passed on.

The information given reportedly included the contract expiry dates, which were then allegedly used by competitors to cold call customers just prior to their service ending dates to offer them alternative deals.

It's possible that many thousands of mobile customers' account details have been unlawfully obtained.

The ICO has already begun investigations. It appears that subscribers' information has been sold on to several brokers and that substantial amounts of money changed hands.

Subsequently the ICO has obtained and served several search warrants at a number of premises. It is now preparing for prosecutions of the offenders.

The Information Commissioner Christopher Graham is continuing his push for tougher laws regarding personal data abuse and said:

"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. The existing paltry fines for Section 55 offences 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."

Though Graham and the ICO are suggesting prison sentences for future offenses of this type, it appears that this current crop of criminals will only suffer fines and a notch on their criminal records, while the rest of us suffer a plague of cold calling salespeople. µ