Unemployed HMRC workers dismissed for invasive access to taxpayer information
In a recent development, the UK's tax authority, HMRC, has revealed that it has disciplined 354 staff members for data security breaches between 2022 and 2025. This revelation comes amidst growing concerns over the use of AI tools by HMRC and the potential privacy issues they may pose.
The data breaches represent approximately 0.1% of HMRC's 68,000-strong workforce. The majority of the disciplined staff were dismissed from their positions, with 186 employees being terminated. However, it is not clear if the recent disciplinary data is connected to the June incident where fraudsters accessed details of 100,000 taxpayers. HMRC has not yet responded to requests for clarification about this connection.
The rise in data breaches has been attributed to the shift towards home working, with managers expressing concerns about staff blurring the lines between official data and personal devices. One instance of a data breach involved an HMRC employee emailing a file containing personal data of 100 people to himself for printing at home.
The use of AI tools by HMRC to monitor taxpayers has been a subject of debate. While these tools are limited to criminal investigations, critics warn of potential Horizon-style scandals if errors creep in. The FOI request uncovered disciplinary data related to HMRC staff, but it is not yet clear if it is connected to the June incident.
The UK tech minister has not negotiated anything with Google, despite recent concerns about the tech giant's data practices. The absence of publicly disclosed or reported HMRC data breaches between 2022 and 2025 suggests either there have been no major data security incidents at HMRC during this timeframe or such breaches have not been detailed in publicly accessible or mainstream reports up to the present date.
The HMRC is under fire for its wider use of data, including AI tools to trawl through social media posts and issue automated warnings to potential tax dodgers. This has raised concerns about privacy issues and the potential for errors leading to Horizon-style scandals.
The full extent of the data breaches and their impact on HMRC's operations remains to be seen. It is hoped that the authority will take steps to address these issues and ensure the protection of sensitive data in the future.
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