Safe in their hands?

A firm of private investigators has been found guilty of selling personal information on 250 customers, obtained illegally from the Department for Work and Pensions.

The firm and its managing director, Nick Munroe, were convicted of 44 counts of unlawfully obtaining and selling personal information at Kingston Magistrates' Court and fined £3,200.

£3,200? For obtaining by deception and selling on the private details of 250 people? This is what your privacy is worth.

If you are a first time passport applicant you will be interviewed, and your data placed on the National Identity Register from May this year. The NIR will be easy pickings for fellows like Nick Munroe. Register now to keep your data (relatively) safe for 10 more years.