Mobile phone company sold private data
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8364421.stm

This doesn't surprise me.

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

My reading of this is that individual staff members did this (for personal gain), rather than it being a management endorsed thing or company policy?

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

Are we taking bets on which company it was yet?

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

I don't think the threat of a prison sentence will really help, if your data has already been sold on. By the time it comes to court, the damage has already been done.

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

I'll have 3 pounds on.....

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

That is my reading, too, informed by

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

I still get calls regarding my orange contract that I finished 18 months ago (Prob cos I kept my number)... we regularly got bothered by these companies as the contract was coming to an end.

My 3 contract is pretty much up but nothing yet...

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

makes me wonder how it took so long to click on to this type of activity i was getting cold called for years when i was on orange contract ,i switched to vm 6 months ago so maybe that will be the end of it


just been clarified on sky news ...it was Tmobile staff who did it for personal gain without the companies knowledge

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

And I've just joined them too lol

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

The same line could be taken for all crimes though, surely. A prison sentence tends to come after the damage is done in all felonies.

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

they say that this goes much deeper than originally thought ,
will the company/companies that bought the info face prosecution aswell ?

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

wondered why in may/june myself and collegues were getting calls over the contract. my company was with t-mobile - but the coverage was pants, so they got ditched to go with vodafone (although all we got were crappy sammy's).

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

Spoke to some of my former colleagues at Tmobile, it's strongly suspected to be employees at their outsource company Sitel. As they'll be the first to have job losses from the Orange merger it's believed they're just "cashing in their chips" while they still can.

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

Is this different from the phone companies selling the information on normally?

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

It is in one way. The phone companies are obliged to comply with the Data Protection Act which I believe currently requires that they seek our permission to sell our data.

These guys were just selling it.

I have to admit, I suspect this is the tip of the iceberg. Every time I am near an end of contract, or an upgrade date, I get at least one phone call from a random mobile phone company telling me I am near the end of my contract. This is information I don't normally volunteer to anyone, and I usually do read through the TsandCs when signing a contract and tick (or leave blank, as appropriate) the necessary options to stop them selling my data.

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

I think the difference with this is whereas some telesales companies do have lists that the apparently legally obtain of soon-to-be-expired contracts, in this instance it was done without the sanction of the company.

Communications Direct in Swansea and Cardiff is just one company that tries to get you on to a new contract, they rely on this information from the networks in order to function so I believe there is a legal way of it being done.

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

:erm::rolleyes: Were you just saying that because most of 3 call centres are based in India? :o: Well it turns out it was T-Mobile anyway.

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

I would have. DPA isn't taken anywhere near as seriously in India as it is in the UK.

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

Apparently it was " Companies "
Suppose we will have to wait and see.

---------- Post added at 10:03 ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 ----------


In the same way someone who bought a dodgy set top box at a car boot sale would, why not?
It cannot be right can it?
And yes, it probably does go deeper.

---------- Post added at 10:06 ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 ----------

Come on Julian, it might be Virgin on the rediculous do you not think? ;)

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

Erm, it's already been revealed as Tmobile...do keep up....

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

I know it was T mobile " employees " who sold the information, who bought it?

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

That'll be harder if not impossible to obtain. There are countless middle-man companies trying to get new contracts connected and going on what's being reported it seems they're more interested in nailing the sellers, not the buyers.

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

Maybe the " Buyers " need nailing too then, whoever they are.
It is questionable on it's own the fact that mobile phone companies are employing Middles men to do their dirty work, then when the proverbial hits the fan they do not want to be seen to be associated with the practice, when obviously the middlemen/women are being paid a salary by the phone companies to do the dirty work.
Everyone involved should be hung out to dry.

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

This is one reason why I got a PAYG contract with Orange. I don't recall ever being cold-called.

Then again I hardly ever use the damn thing and only top it up every 2 years or so...:D

Re: Mobile phone company sold private data
 

You could argue the same about any crime. After all, prison may not get your stuff back if you are burgled. It won't heal your injuries if you are attacked and it won't bring those back who are murdered.

However, the point is that if they think they may be imprisoned, some people may wonder if selling the data is worth it.