EE - the mobile network run by Everything Everywhere Ltd - and research company Ipsos MORI have both defended their privacy policies following a Sunday Times report.
The report, which was headlined “Secrets of 27m mobile phones offered to police”, said location data and other information about millions of EE mobile phone customers had been offered for sale to the Metropolitan Police.
However, both companies have issued statements saying that individual personal information has never been available.
Whilst confirming that it works with Ipsos MORI to analyse customer behaviour and network usage, EE says its information is aggregated and anonymised before it gets shared with Ipsos MORI. Data sets contain at least 50 people and contains no names or phone numbers.
In a statement, EE said “EE had no knowledge of any meeting between Ipsos and the Met Police. We would like to make it absolutely clear that as we do not share our customers’ individual personal data with any third party, Ipsos could not have possibly sold this to the Police, as reporting has suggested.”
However, it points out that the Regulatory Investigating Powers Act allow the police to request personal information from any mobile operator.
Ipsos MORI said “We have taken every care to ensure it is being carried out in compliance with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements, including the Data Protection Act and Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations (both as amended).”