FOI 131933

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 131933

I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 12^th October 2021. Please find below the response to your request:

Please provide details of how many officers have been investigated for inappropriate use of social media since 2018.

Please break down the figures by year.

Please include WhatsApp in this, as well as Facebook, twitter and other social media platforms.

Please provide details of:

- the nature of the allegations against the officer(s), please give as much detail as possible

- the rank of the officer(s) involved

- the outcome of the investigation - eg. officers dismissed/given a written warning.

Reply:-

Following receipt of your request please find the response set out below. Details have been provided in such a way as to ensure that individuals cannot be identified, as provided in Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act.

S.40(2) is an absolute exemption which does not require me to evidence the harm that disclosure would cause and does not require consideration of a public interest test in justification of its use.

This exemption is engaged where disclosure of information relates to personal data of a third party or could lead to the identification of an individual, either from that information alone or combined with other information from within the Police Service or public domain. In this case, the information you are requesting could identify an individual.

Such a disclosure would breach an individual’s rights under the Data Protection Act 2018, in particular Article 5(1) of the GDPR which states that personal data shall be processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject. Such a disclosure would also be likely to breach s.8 Human Rights Act 1998 which states that everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.

- Please provide details of how many officers have been investigated for inappropriate use of social media since 2018:

- Please break down the figures by year:

- Please include WhatsApp in this, as well as Facebook, twitter and other social media platforms:

- the nature of the allegations against the officer(s), please give as much detail as possible:

- the rank of the officer(s) involved:

- the outcome of the investigation - eg. officers dismissed/given a written warning: