ICO not fit for purpose

In other news, Pi is 3.1416 (to 4dp), root 2 is 1.4142 (to 4 dp).

Eat your own dog food ICO

Perhaps the ICO might follow some of their own advice;

• Do not be secretive or deceptive in how you handle data (such as hiding details of DPA offences from the public for a year)

• Do not try to gain an advantage (such as boosting your own lobbying campaign) by using data in a way that people wouldn't expect or might object to.

If only we have a government sponsored agency to protect us....

Oh wait......

NuLabour = Epic Fail -

Where have all the intresting commentators gone?

Have they all be made unemployed by NuLabour or have they been frightened off by the new commenting system?

@irish donkey

The new comments system has certainly put me right off - it's enough of a pita to read now, let alone comment.

They fixed something that wasn't broken, and now it is.

I for one would dearly love the old system back because it worked - and this one doesn't. :-(

Arse - Elbow.....

....Left hand - Right hand, etc. Has anyone in a government agency ever tried behaving in an honest and honourable manner?

02 also selling their customer's data

T-Mobile aren't the only one.

3 months before my contract ran out I was getting 'phone calls every day from some random Indian call centre. My mobile was bought from an 02 shop on an 02 contract: so only 02 know about it and my 'phone number.

The ICO needs to kick some arse. And if it's using this case to get more teeth: all power to it. Companies get off too lightly (another feature of Nu Labour corruption).

ICO occasionally works (almost)

They managed to stop the imbecilles at MBNA sending me marketing by phone, text and post. MBNA's excuse... the account records showed no marketing but the customer records showed it was ok. This despite over 10 years of asking politely to have it stopped. Of course, each time a card is issued the new card record shows all marketing is ok again (MBNA are very shit like this) and credit card cheques will be issued for all new cards automatically.

So, the ICO did do some good. More teeth (and a better bit of biting) would maybe have made MBNA actually fix their logic issues, but the ICO is not useless; they are just not yet useful.

Widespread abuse of data

This problem isn't just limited to T-Mobile - as we migrated each of our business accounts away from Vodafone over a period of time, ONE company called the numbers suggesting we port to them. It was the same company EVERY time, with no official link to Vodafone. In each call they commented on our request for a PAC code and suggested using it to migrate to their MVNO. Now how did they get the info? Calls to ICO and others brought a "can't be possible" response.

Who is policing ICO?

3 too

This is widespread. I had similar problems as my 3 contract was due for renewal (after 12 months of hell with them I wasn't renewing come hell or high water)

As for the ICO: It exists to give the illusion of compliance with EU requirements. If the government was serious about its purpose there would be a LOT of prosecutions by now.