Friday 03 May 2019 3:53 pm | Updated: Wednesday 05 June 2019 9:15 am

HMRC forced to delete 5m voice recordings after breaching privacy rules

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has been forced into deleting the voice records of five million taxpayers after it was revealed that they were collected without proper consent and in breach of privacy rules.

The government body had signed people up to its voice ID system for telephone enquiries in a bid to speed up the often-lamented HMRC helpline, instead of the usual security checks.

The scheme was launched in 2017 and required individuals to repeat the phrase "my voice is my password" to register, which could then be used to confirm their identity as they manage their taxes.

Privacy campaigners such as Big Brother Watch said the system "railroaded" users into it without the choice to opt out, while HMRC were also accused of creating "biometric ID cards by the back door".

Despite criticism, HMRC chief executive, Sir Jon Thompson, is happy for the body to keep using the software, although they have now been forced into gaining proper consent.

"I am satisfied that HMRC should continue to use voice ID," he said.

"It is popular with our customers, is a more secure way of protecting customer data, and enables us to get callers through to an adviser faster."

The tax authority changed its protocols for collecting voice recordings last October after the General Data Protetcion Regulation (GDPR), which came into force across the EU last May, said it required explicit conset from individuals to be biometrically identfiied.

The UK Information Commissioner told HMRC it had been adhering to these rules and gave a deadline of 5 June for HMRC to obtain consent or delete the files.

So far, 1.5m people have called HMRC to say they wish to continue using the service, but the body is now set to delete the remaining five million people who have not called or used the service since.

"This is a massive success for Big Brother Watch, restoring data rights for millions of ordinary people around the country," Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, told the BBC.

"To our knowledge, this is the biggest ever deletion of biometric IDs from a state-held database. This sets a vital precedent for biometrics collection and the database state, showing that campaigners and the ICO have real teeth and no government department is above the law."