Information Commissioner Richard Thomas – the privacy watchdog – has spoken of a “pernicious” illegal trade in addresses, phone bills, bank statements and health records. Crispin Sturrock of consultancy Whiterock comments.
As the recently elected Chair of the Technical Surveillance Counter Measures guidelines committee for The Security Institute, I have found that the mindset of most Government departments, banks, credit card companies and businesses is that ‘privacy traders’ who deal in the illegal purchasing of addresses, phone bills, bank statements, health records and other information on people’s private lives, is not a serious threat. As CEO of counter-surveillance company Whiterock, I continue to raise awareness of this black market trade which is increasing due to the availability, and deployment, of unauthorised listening devices - ‘bugging’ - and covert camera devices plus the ability to illegally intercept telephone, facsimile and data communications. I’m certain that once the Information Commissioner Richard Thomas has delivered his report to parliament, using his special powers under the Data Protection Act, that the penalties will be increased to include jail sentences for those buying and selling critical information about people’s private lives.
