Met Police face data training deadline after privacy failures
The Information Commissioner's Office has ordered the force to improve compliance within three months following multiple data breaches.
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The Metropolitan Police has been ordered to improve its data protection training compliance by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) within three months. This directive follows findings of "serious and ongoing shortcomings" in the force's training, with completion rates described as "low".
Up to 70 per cent of officers have not completed the mandatory data protection training. Kenny Bowie, Director of Strategy & MPS Oversight at the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), acknowledged that the uptake "wasn't particularly good" and stated the figure requires "to be improved".
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Recent Data Breaches Prompt Enforcement
The ICO's enforcement notice was issued after a series of data protection failures. These include an incident where an officer sent a bulk email that exposed the names and email addresses of 18 people connected to the 'Honeytrap' scandal in Westminster. In that case, the ICO found the officer responsible had not completed data protection training for over four years prior to the incident.
The Metropolitan Police also recently apologised for inadvertently disclosing the email addresses of approximately 140 individuals who reported being sexually abused by Mohamed Al Fayed. This incident occurred just a month before the ICO's enforcement notice was issued.
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During a London Assembly Police and Crime Committee session, senior officers admitted that compliance needed to be achieved "as quickly as possible" but did not provide a specific timeframe. Mr Bowie indicated that addressing the issue involves personal responsibility, supervisory oversight, and technological measures.
Benali Hamdache, a Green Party member of the London Assembly, described the low training completion rates as "unacceptable". He stated that officers must complete the mandatory data training as a priority, especially given the recent data breaches affecting vulnerable individuals.
What Happens Next
The Metropolitan Police must now implement specific steps to improve its data protection training compliance, monitoring, and governance arrangements within three months, as mandated by the ICO's enforcement notice. Further actions are required within 12 months.
Questions this report answers
+What is the ICO's enforcement notice for the Met Police?
The Information Commissioner's Office has issued an enforcement notice against the Metropolitan Police due to serious and ongoing shortcomings in data protection training. The notice requires the force to improve its training compliance, monitoring, and governance arrangements.
+What percentage of Met Police officers have not completed mandatory data training?
Up to 70 per cent of Metropolitan Police officers have not completed their mandatory data protection training. This low completion rate was acknowledged by MOPAC as needing significant improvement.
+What data breaches have recently occurred involving the Met Police?
Recent incidents include an officer exposing the details of 18 people linked to the 'Honeytrap' scandal via a bulk email. The Met also apologised for disclosing email addresses of around 140 individuals who reported sexual abuse.
+What are the deadlines for the Met Police to improve data protection training?
The Metropolitan Police must take specific steps to improve its data protection training compliance within three months of the ICO's enforcement notice. Further actions are required within a 12-month timeframe.
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