Voice data collected unlawfully by HMRC must be deleted

An Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) investigation into HMRC’s voice ID service was prompted by a complaint from Big Brother Watch about the department’s conduct. The investigation focused on the use of voice authentication for customer verification on some of HMRC’s helplines since January 2017.

It found that HMRC failed to give customers sufficient information about how their biometric data would be processed and failed to give them the chance to give or withhold consent. This is a breach of the General Data Protection Regulation.

It issued a preliminary enforcement notice to HMRC in April stating the department would have to delete all biometric data held under the voice ID system for which it does not have explicit consent. The department will have 28 days from the date of a final enforcement notice to complete deletion of relevant records.

Steve Wood ICO deputy commissioner said: ‘We welcome HMRC’s prompt action to begin...