FOIA request to Ofcom: Location Based Services Code of Practice
As we suggested earlier Ofcom are a quango with statutory powers to regulate several industries and are supposedly independent of Central Government. Therefore some of the exemptions to the FOIA do not apply.
If Ofcom deny all knowledge of the "Location Based Services Code of Practice", which at least one of their employees did over the phone in September, then there are serious questions to be asked about how seriously Ofcom is actually taking its duty to protect the public, especially in this case, children and vulnerable adults, from predators who could abuse the mobile phone network and commercial third party location based services.
A refinement on our previous requests was to remember to ask for corresepondence as well as emails etc.
Read the FOIA request sent to Ofcom:
Information Requests Ofcom Riverside House 2a Southwark Bridge Road London SE1 9HACopy sent by email to: information.requests@ofcom.org.uk
Microsoft Word format attachment: ofcom_foia_1.docSunday 9th January 2005
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Formal Request for InformationDear Sir or Madam
Please provide me with the following information:
1) All emails, correspondence, minutes of meetings and reports etc. pertaining to the “Location Based Services Code of Practice” apparently drawn up by the Mobile Telphone industry in September 2004.
2) A copy of this “Location Based Services Code of Practice”
References:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/mobile/article/0,2763,1312580,00.html
“Mobiles to let parents keep a track on children “Richard Wray
Saturday September 25, 2004
The Guardian“The code of practice has been drawn up by the five British mobile networks in conjunction with the Home Office, police and children's charities. It also allows firms to sell services based on data that locates the position of a mobile user.”
Please provide the information ideally by publishing it on your public world wide website, or alternatively by email.
In the unlikely event that this information is not already available in a standard electronic format, then please explain the reasons why, when you provide the information in another format.
If you are proposing to make a charge for providing the information requested, please provide full details in advance, together with an explanation of any proposed charge
If you decide to withhold any of the information requested you should clearly explain why you have done so in your response, by reference to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 legislation. If your decision to withhold is based upon an evaluation of the public interest, then you should clearly explain which public interests you have considered, and why you have decided that the public interest in maintaining the exception(s) outweighs the public interest in releasing the information.
I look forward to receiving the information requested as soon as possible and in any event within 20 working days of receipt. i.e. by Monday 7th February 2005
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
If you require any clarification of this request please contact me as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely