MI5 software error leads to wrongful data collection
MI5 wrongly collected subscriber data on 134 telephone numbers as a result of a software error, according to the annual report by the interception of communications commissioner Sir Paul Kennedy.
A spreadsheet formatting error caused the service to apply for data on the identity of telephone numbers ending in 000, rather than the actual last three digits. "The subscriber data acquired had no connection or relevance to any investigation or operation being undertaken by the Security Service," writes Kennedy.
He adds that the resulting material was destroyed, the formatting fault fixed and numbers are now checked manually before MI5 requests subscriber data from communications providers.
