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Numerous UK police forces extracting mobile phone data without oversight

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Numerous UK police forces extracting mobile phone data without oversight

Police in the UK should not be allowed to access individuals’ phone data without a search warrant, privacy campaigners have said.

At least 26 forces in England and Wales are using technology to extract data from phones – while Police Scotland has trialled extraction technology but said it does not currently use it.

Privacy International, which has called for the immediate review of the practice, today published a report examining the tools used by police forces to extract mobile phone data.

It said the police are acting without clear safeguards for the public and no independent oversight to identify abuse and misuse of sensitive personal information.

Key statistics from the report include:

  • 26 out of 47 police forces (55 per cent) that were subject to freedom of information requests admitted they are using mobile phone extraction technology.

  • Out of the remaining 21 police forces (45 per cent):

  • Eight police forces (17 per cent) have trialled or intend to trial this technology

  • Thirteen police forces (28 per cent) either failed to respond to the questions or stated they hold no information on the use of this technology

    • The report also includes 11 key recommendations, among them:

    • There needs to be an urgent independent review into this widespread, intrusive but secretive practice;

    • There should be a requirement for police to obtain a warrant for searching the contents of a mobile phone, issued on the basis of reasonable suspicion;

    • The Home Office must publish guidance for the public, regarding their rights if the police want to search their mobile phone.

      • Millie Graham-Wood, a solicitor at Privacy International, said the findings suggested there was “no limit on the volume of data” police could obtain, and there was “nothing clear” as to when information should be deleted.

      “The most worrying thing is that this can happen on arrest, even when charges are never even bought,” she added.

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