134
IPCO Annual Report 2018
Error Investigation 22
Telecommunications Operator (TO)
Human or Technical:
Technical
Classification:
Shortfall Data
Data Acquired:
Call records
Description:
Following a query from a public authority as to the extent of data
returned in response to an authorisation granted for a special service
request, a telecommunications operator identified a system error
that had resulted in a shortfall of information being supplied between
August 2017 and August 2018. In total, 51 authorisations from 11 public
authorities had been supplied with an incomplete range of data. The
fault was identified and corrected within a few days of the anomaly
being raised.
Consequence:
Where the data was still available and could be reapplied for, there
was no discernible impact. For those cases where data retention
schedules meant the data had been deleted and was therefore no
longer available, the public authorities concerned have been unable
to say whether or not the shortfall affected the overall outcome of
the investigation.