Data loss ''should be a crime''

Reckless or repeated loss of other people´s personal data should be considered a crime, according to a group of politicians.

Speaking after the details of 25 million child benefit claimants were lost by the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in November, the Justice Select Committee called for new laws and harsher penalties to be imposed on organisations dealing with personal data.

As it stands, government departments cannot be held criminally responsible for data protection leaks, but the committee warned it had uncovered evidence that personal data loss was a widespread problem within public-sector bodies and contractors.

Alan Beith, chairman of the committee, said: "The scale of the data loss by government bodies and contractors is truly shocking but the evidence we have had points to further hidden problems.

"It is frankly incredible, for example, that the measures HMRC has put in place were not already standard procedure."

The government is said to have welcomed the report and is currently considering a number of measures to bolster the Data Protection Act.

© Adfero Ltd