London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Met Police has apologised for a data breach that accidentally revealed the identities of the Westminster “honeytrap” scandal in an investigation update email, raising concerns over trust in reporting sensitive cases.
The Metropolitan Police issued an apology after an email error revealed the identities of Westminster “honeytrap” scandal victims.
A police officer mistakenly sent an email update on Westminster’s “honeytrap” case, disclosing the names and contact information of the alleged victims.
Forces are investigating the case where a person posing as “Charlie” or “Abi” attempted to extract sensitive information from 20 people, including MPs, parliamentary staff, and political journalists.
As reported by the Guardian, an email was sent on Friday to 18 individuals informing them of a bail date change for a suspect due to a fire at Charing Cross police station.
A detective sergeant from the Met’s Diplomatic and Parliamentary Protection unit accidentally included the recipients’ names in the CC field instead of the BCC section, exposing their identities.
The BBC reports that they have seen the email but will not disclose the identities of the recipients. Sources indicate that members of parliament, political journalists, and staff from the House of Commons are included in the recipients list.
While speaking to the BBC, one of the alleged victims said, “It’s infuriating to have your personal details released in this way. It will make me think twice about reporting anything to the Met again.”
Another alleged victim shared they felt sickened to find out their name had been circulated in connection with the entire situation, adding “There has been no communication to say that this error has happened – and all for what is essentially another holding email. It’s exhausting.”
One Labour member involved in the party’s general election campaign was arrested in June in relation to the Westminster honeytrap case, suspected of harassment and violating the Online Safety Act.
Reports suggest that the police have notified parliamentary authorities and advised officers to be careful when sending group emails.
A spokesperson from the Metropolitan said, “An email relating to an ongoing investigation was sent in error today. We recognise the impact on those involved and apologise sincerely for any distress.”
The MET spokesperson confirmed that the police have referred the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office for advice. Officers plan to contact affected individuals directly to apologize and provide reassurance.
A spokesperson from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said police have informed us of an incident and we will assess the information provided, adding “People have the right to expect that organisations will handle their personal information securely and responsibly. If an individual has concerns about how their data has been handled they should raise it with the organisation, then report them to us if they are not satisfied with the response.”
The Independent News reports earlier this year, Scotland Yard reported that more than 12 men in political circles received unsolicited WhatsApp messages, with some instances involving the exchange of explicit images.
William Wragg, the former Conservative MP, resigned the party whip after confessing to sharing a politician’s phone numbers with a suspected scammer.