Following an investigation by the Information Commissioners Office Greater Manchester Police has been fined £150,000. This relates to Police video interviews with victims of violent and sexual crimes being lost in the post.
Greater Manchester Police sent three unencrypted DVDs by post for analysis. It is understood the DVDs showed named victims talking openly about abuse suffered.
The Information Commissioners Office found to keep highly sensitive personal information secure and did not have the necessary measures in place to guard against loss of this data. This was a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.
The fine follows an earlier fine in 2012 when the Information Commissioners Office ordered Greater Manchester Police to pay £150,000 after an unencrypted USB stick was stolen in a burglary at a Detective’s home in July 2011. It is reported the USB stick contained details of 1,075 people with links to drug probes, arrests targets and Officers’ names.
If you believe your data has been unlawfully disclosed please contact Richard Hardy or Andrew Freckleton in our Civil Liberties Department. We have brought a number of successful civil claims securing damages for clients in such circumstances.
