Private investigators could face £500,000 fines for accessing data illegally

PS Public Service.co.uk
29 April 2013

Public authorities, police forces and members of the public are being asked to help uncover rogue private investigators, which could face fines of up to £500,000 if they are found to have illegally accessed people's data.

A new campaign, launched by the Information Commissioner, aims to uncover the extent of the problem after issues were highlighted during the Leveson inquiry and by the Home Affairs Select Committee.

"The majority of private investigators go about their business in compliance with the Data Protection Act, using their expertise to ask the right questions, investigate the right areas and examine the information that's already available," said Information Commissioner Christopher Graham.

"The fact that less scrupulous professionals may be trying to take shortcuts by illegally accessing people's data is, quite simply, wrong.

"This is why they must be identified and stopped using the enforcement powers available, including monetary penalties of up to £500,000 for serious breaches of the act."

Some private investigators were also not meeting their obligations by failing to make sure the information they handled was accurate or that it was securely deleted once it was no longer required, Graham added.

He has now written to police forces, public bodies and private investigation firms asking them to report any concerns they have.

"Any information provided to our office can be submitted anonymously and we have channels in place to allow people to do this," he said. "We would urge anyone who has information that would aid our investigation to get in touch.

"By shining a light into the darkest corners of the private investigation industry we are aiming to root out any criminal elements that continue to cause public concern and blight the professional reputation of their counterparts."