Compliance Management, Privacy

Privacy advocates rally against HMRC data-sharing plans

A U.K. agency's plans to share taxpayer information is drawing heat from privacy groups.

Last month, reports surfaced that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was considering selling the anonymized, financial data of millions to private companies. According to The Guardian, which broke the story, HMRC was also mulling over whether to share the non-identifying data with third-party organizations, if doing so offered “clear public benefits.”

Now, privacy advocates, including those with groups 38 Degrees, Sum of Us, and Open Rights Group, have rallied together to push the government to re-evaluate such plans.

A Wednesday article in The Guardian revealed that a petition with 300,000 signatures had been presented the government. Those protesting the data-sharing plans are concerned that sensitive financial information, even if anonymized, could be linked to its owners.

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