Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the Government's policy is on whether a person should be permitted to monitor a digital device for the purposes of damaging or stealing data from that person in England and Wales.

Individuals or organisations that monitor a digital device for the purposes of damaging or stealing data from that person would be in breach of the Data Protection Act (DPA).

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has a range of powers to take action against those who breach the DPA, including the power to serve a Civil Monetary Penalty of up to £500,000. In the most serious cases, section 55 of the DPA makes it an offence for a person to knowingly or recklessly obtain, disclose or procure the disclosure of personal data without the consent of the data controller. The offence is punishable by an unlimited fine.