Onus on mobile phone operators to protect customers' privacy

17 July 2011

by Cllr Joe Costello

Mobile phone manufacturers and operators must be obliged to protect customers private data

The decision by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner to tackle phone companies in the wake of the phone hacking scandal in Britain is a move in the right direction.

However, the Data Protection Commissioner's proposals to have the remote access to voicemail messages removed altogether from mobile phones is wrong. It is the equivalent of using a sledge hammer to crack a nut. Remote access to voicemail messages is valuable technology and enhances the uses of mobile phones, particularly for travellers or holiday-makers in this global world.

Likewise, the proposals emanating from the Department of Communications and Natural Resources are totally inadequate.
In reply to my adjournment motion in the Dáil on Thursday, the Minister placed the entire responsibility on avoiding hacking on the users of the mobile phone. This is totally unreasonable and unimplementable.
It is imperative that the onus be placed firmly and squarely on the mobile phone companies to install security measures on the mobile phones to prevent unauthorised access to mobile phone data.

As Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee, I will be asking the European Commission to include the protection of mobile phone consumers in its annual work programme with a view to issuing a European Directive in the near future.