There is news item on the BBC News pages


     Research to recover mobile info


Carphone Warehouse have given a student a number traded in phones to use
in tests on what data can be recovered from them.

Are they allowed to do that without breaching the Data Protection Act or
does it not cover personal data on phones?




MB

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:02:00 +0100, MB wrote:

> Carphone Warehouse have given a student a number traded in phones to use
> in tests on what data can be recovered from them.
> 
> Are they allowed to do that without breaching the Data Protection Act or
> does it not cover personal data on phones?

Given that nobody except Carphone Warehouse know where the phones came 
from, it's difficult to say. Perhaps they were privately held phones 
whose owners have given CPW permission to do this. 

On the other hand, if everything has been deleted from them then there 
isn't really any problem, as any personally identifiable information 
isn't there, is it? 

-- 
 <http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) (UnSoEsNpEaTm@ale.cx)
 18:30:31 up 66 days,  1:25,  3 users,  load average: 0.68, 0.23, 0.07
 Convergence, n: The act of using separate DSL circuits for voice and data

"MB" <MB@invalid.invalid> wrote in message 
news:313030303037313548186DC870@invalid.invalid...
> There is news item on the BBC News pages
>
>
>     Research to recover mobile info
>
>
> Carphone Warehouse have given a student a number traded in phones to use
> in tests on what data can be recovered from them.
>
> Are they allowed to do that without breaching the Data Protection Act or
> does it not cover personal data on phones?
>
>
>
>
> MB

They can do what they like if they own the phones.  I can tell you that data 
could only be obtained from the SIM.  The networks have been less than 
honest with people in the UK.  They have been storing data for years and 
retain every text message and call info - this includes IMEI numbers and it 
can all be cross referenced.
So really there is no excuse for networks not reporting people using stolen 
phones - well, apart from the income they would lose from turning a blind 
eye!
There will be no data available from a phone without a SIM card.  Forensic 
companies have already tested most phones, so maybe it was a scam to get a 
few free phones to sell on ebay!
Tell me which part of the Data Protection Act the shop is breaking.

"Rob"  wrote in message 
news:fvajsn$dsv$1@news.albasani.net...
> There will be no data available from a phone without a SIM card.  Forensic 
> companies have already tested most phones, so maybe it was a scam to get a 
> few free phones to sell on ebay!

Yep - its lucky that phones don't come with internal memory and memory cards 
then isn't it. And extra lucky that they don't store call logs, photos, 
emails, etc on them then isn't it. <end sarcasm>

-- 
Nadeem

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:13:02 +0100, Rob wrote:

> Tell me which part of the Data Protection Act the shop is breaking.

The DPA covers the handling of personally identifiable information. 
Someone's telephone number identifies them personally, IMHO. However, if 
they've been deleted from the phone, then all this is moot, isn't it? ;-)

-- 
 <http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) (UnSoEsNpEaTm@ale.cx)
 13:03:01 up 66 days, 19:57,  3 users,  load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00
 Convergence, n: The act of using separate DSL circuits for voice and data

In article <4819b2e7$0$659$bed64819@news.gradwell.net>,
	alexd  writes:
> On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:13:02 +0100, Rob wrote:
> 
>> Tell me which part of the Data Protection Act the shop is breaking.
> 
> The DPA covers the handling of personally identifiable information. 
> Someone's telephone number identifies them personally, IMHO. However, if 
> they've been deleted from the phone, then all this is moot, isn't it? ;-)

Depends how good you are at undeleting them.

-- 
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]