Confidential details sent to MI5 by thousands of individuals and businesses have ended up with an American company specialising in supermarket mailshots.
The security service's new email early warning system was designed to reassure the public in the wake of the July 7 bombings and the disclosure of a string of failed terror plots.
It was launched by the Home Office last week. The Government said it was part of a long-planned programme to keep the public better informed about the terrorist threat.
People signing up for the alerts were asked to type their name and email details into the MI5 website alongside an assurance their personal information would be protected by the Data Protection Act and the Security Services Act.
They were emailed back by MI5 with the message: "Thank you for your request to subscribe to the MI5/Home Office Threat Level Update email list." Subscribers were led to believe their details were being kept in secure computer files at MI5's Thames House headquarters in Whitehall.
But it has been revealed the service is not being run by MI5. Instead it has been paying Whatcounts Inc, a US computer firm based in Seattle, to store the details and send terror alerts.
No comments:
Post a Comment