124
IPCO Annual Report 2018
Error Investigation 2
Police Force
Human or Technical:
Human (Special Point of Contact, SPoC)
Classification:
Transposition of Data
Data Acquired:
Subscriber information relating to an Internet Protocol Address
Resolution
Description:
Police officers investigating the hacking of two email addresses and a
file sharing application sought to identify the customer details of seven
IP (internet protocol) addresses believed to have been used to commit
the offences. After an authorisation to acquire the information had
been granted, a series of errors were made when entering the data
request into the system portal of the Internet Service Provider. As a
result, erroneous information was returned and police visited three
addresses to establish if there were any connections with the victim
or suspected hacker. The proximity of one address visited to that of a
potential suspect led officers to make an arrest of a person who was
subsequently eliminated.
Consequence:
The IPC decided that this error amounted to serious error (within the
meaning of section 231 IPA). Accordingly, IPCO notified the affected
person of the fact of the serious error and of that person’s right to
apply to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.
Error Investigation 3
Police Force
Human or Technical:
Human (Applicant/Special Point of Contact, SPoC)
Classification:
Misinterpretation of data
Data Acquired:
Email address – subscriber details
Description:
Following an arrest, a forensic examination of a seized computer was
carried out. An email address was found on the device that was linked
to a file sharing account on which a number of indecent images of
children had been discovered. Police officers applied to acquire CD
that would attribute this email address to the offending account.
However, officers failed recognise that there was no process to verify
identification when a person sets up this particular type of email
address and that further checks and safeguards should have been
applied. The name and address linked to this unverified email address
led officers to arrest an innocent man.
Consequence:
The individual who was subject to this error made a complaint to the
Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT). The IPT referred the case to IPCO
for investigation.