Ofcom closes legal loophole that allowed criminals to track your location

Ofcom has banned systems that allowed criminals to access phone users’ personal data in a bid to tackle online crime.

The watchdog has closed a “technical loophole” that allowed the lease of ‘global titles’, addresses that are used by mobile networks to ensure calls and texts reach the intended recipient.

The move will make the UK a “world leader in protecting people from the malicious use of mobile networks”, Ofcom said.

Ofcom revealed criminals can use global titles to intercept and divert calls and messages, including bank security codes, and track someone’s location anywhere in the world. These addresses are used in the background of billions of calls and texts worldwide and are never seen by phone users.

The watchdog revealed some operators have been leasing their global title numbers to third parties to facilitate the provision of mobile services. However, this means that by leasing rather than owning these addresses, criminals can operate in the shadow of legitimate communications networks.

Ofcom’s group director for networks and communications, Natalie Black, said: "Leased global titles are one of the most significant and persistent sources of malicious signalling. Our ban will help prevent them falling into the wrong hands – protecting mobile users and our critical telecoms infrastructure in the process."

The ban on entering new leasing arrangements is effective immediately and for those networks with contracts already in place, the ban will come into force in a year’s time.  This will give legitimate businesses who currently lease global titles from mobile networks time to make alternative arrangements.  

Chief technical officer at the National Cyber Security Centre Ollie Whitehouse said: “Today’s announcement marks an important step in the support of our mission to make the UK the safest place to live and work online. 

“This technique, which is actively used by unregulated commercial companies, poses privacy and security risks to everyday users, and we urge our international partners to follow suit in addressing it.”