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Debate is growing about the capacity of mobile phones to collect and process private information about individuals

The main difference between a mobile phone and any other piece of electronic equipment is that it is truly personal.

Every customer’s phone is unique to them. It becomes:

  • A record of calls made, received, and places visited – physically and electronically.
  • A store of personal data.
  • A log of personal identity – largely for the purposes of electronic commerce, with applications such as being able to pay London congestion charges by text message.

There is already public unease about the ability of governments to access personal communications, as well as the practices of commercial organisations.

‘Accusations that Britain is moving towards a “Big Brother state” in which the Government and the private sector hold unprecedented detail about citizens are to be examined by the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee. MPs will investigate plans to share personal information between Whitehall departments, the growth of the DNA database, CCTV surveillance and the impact of identity cards. It will also consider the increase in personal information held by supermarkets, credit card companies and other private organisations....”
The Independent, 23 March 2007

 

At O2, we are anxious to understand where our responsibilities lie in securing both people’s safety, on the one hand, and their liberty, on the other.

We want to help protect young people and the vulnerable from illegal content and to instigate more debate.

Government has put in place a legislative framework seeking to balance collective security needs with the privacy of the individual.

In the UK, these include the:

  • Data Protection Act.
  • Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive.
  • Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act.
  • Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).

We strive to comply with this legislation – which covers communication intercepts that help police investigations, and the retention of mobile traffic data and Spam.