Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said:
“In our report published on 18th June, we recommended that these forms were withdrawn, and I am pleased to see that this action has been taken.
“People expect to understand how their personal data is being used. An approach that does not seek this engagement risks dissuading citizens from reporting crime, and victims may be deterred from assisting police.”
The ICO’s report into the use of mobile phone extraction by police forces in England and Wales recommends that a number of measures are implemented across law enforcement in order to improve compliance with data protection law and regain some public confidence that may have been lost. The ICO is also recommending the introduction of a new code of practice to improve mobile phone extraction practices and better support police and prosecutors in their work.
