The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has slapped down two police forces with a formal reprimand over a serious data privacy blunder.
Secret Phone Call Recordings Spark Outrage
An app rolled out in 2016, meant for just a handful of officers to capture personal data, spiralled out of control. Over 1,000 police staff across both forces downloaded the app. This led to hundreds of incoming and outgoing calls being secretly recorded—without anyone’s consent.
These recordings contained highly sensitive information on suspected crimes, putting victims, witnesses, and suspects’ privacy at grave risk.
ICO Steps In But Holds Back £1 Million Fine
The ICO discovered the fallout in 2020 and launched a full investigation. Although they chose not to hit the forces with the £1 million fine, the watchdog issued a formal reprimand for the massive breach of trust.
The app has now been withdrawn, and all recordings—except those needed as evidence—have been destroyed. Still, this privacy fiasco has left a deep stain on police credibility.
