Alarm over phone records breach

What you need to know:

  • “The mobile phone records of journalists — and lawyers — contain privileged information and we have made it clear to them that we regard this as a very serious issue,” Mr Darcey said.
  • The breach occurred after investigators of illegal payments to public officials by journalists applied to Vodafone for the call records of one journalist of News UK, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said in a statement.

LONDON, Wednesday

Telecoms giant Vodafone gave British police the mobile phone records of 1,700 people working for News UK, the company that publishes several top British newspapers, The Times has reported.

The Times, owned by News UK, said staff were informed of the breach by chief executive Mark Darcey Tuesday.

It concerned call records of staff at The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun between 2005 and 2007, the newspaper said.

PERSONALLY APPALLED

News UK chief executive Mike Darcey said in a statement in The Times story that he was “personally appalled” at the breach and that Vodafone had apologised.

“The mobile phone records of journalists — and lawyers — contain privileged information and we have made it clear to them that we regard this as a very serious issue,” Mr Darcey said.

The police request was made under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, a controversial anti-terrorism law which has been accused of enabling excessive surveillance.

The revelation comes ahead of the presentation of a new anti-terrorism Bill in the British Parliament intended to increase the ability of police to access computer and telephone data of people suspected of extremist links.

Police used the law in two cases to identify journalists’ sources through their phone records, The Times said, a use of the law currently under investigation by a watchdog, the Interception of Communications Commissioner’s Office.

ILLEGAL PAYMENTS PROBE

The breach occurred after investigators of illegal payments to public officials by journalists applied to Vodafone for the call records of one journalist of News UK, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said in a statement.

News UK, formerly News International and part of the media empire of magnate Rupert Murdoch, was at the centre of a phone hacking scandal that led to an inquiry into police bribery and ethics, and newspaper News of the World, since shut down.

Six journalists of The Sun are currently on trial, accused of buying stories about celebrities and the royal family from members of the army, prison officials and hospital staff. All six deny the charges.
(AFP)