Army officer using his computer to look people up.

[Zoink]

Someone I know asks their army police officer partner to use his laptop to find information on people. I know he used it to look up my partner to see where he worked. Is this legal?

Do you mean using a work permissions to limited-access databases to make non-official enquiries?

Or just someone who knows which public access databases are most likely to have relevant information, and happens to use work laptop to look?

Finding out where someone works is usually public, readily discoverable information.

It depends what you mean by “use his laptop”.

If it’s his personal laptop then it’s completely legal.

If it’s a work laptop then that’s a grey area. It will depend on whether he’s using work databases, or public information you could find on any computer.

Fwiw- to start if he’s not in intelligence it’s unlikely he’ll have access to many of the restricted databases. I’m not army but most forces now only grant access to intelligence, and officers have to request the information.
Secondly unless your partner already has a police record they wouldn’t hold any information on him. Even then, employment is not usually held unless it’s relevant.

Ah okay. So I know he is a police officer in the army and I know his partner told someone she had asked him to find where my partner works and had used his "MOD work laptop" to find him.

If he's checking restricted databases then yes it's against data protection

Someone is pulling your pud I think.

It sounds like his partner is bullshitting to make herself look like she’s in the know.

Does your partner have an army or a police record? Is there any reason he’d be in those databases?

I could probably google and find most people’s place of work. It’s usually on bloody facebook. You don’t need a “MOD laptop” 😂

I don't think I if he's a red cap he'll have access to civvy databases unless like pp your partner is forces too?

It’s twaddle.
Security clearance levels restrict access to certain information and databases. There is no access to civilian records without specific clearance for a specific purpose.

@iklboo

Someone is pulling your pud I think.

Are you northern? I've not heard that expression since I lived oop north!

Think you're right! She does think she is bloody awesome and she is not a very nice person. Think she is living in a dreamworld. Apparently she got her husband to use it looking up all the staff etc etc.

@Trunkysbun - I am indeed. Salford born & bred

Think you're right! She does think she is bloody awesome and she is not a very nice person. Think she is living in a dreamworld. Apparently she got her husband to use it looking up all the staff etc etc

My husband probably tells people I can look everyone up and find x, y,z.

I can. Doesn’t mean I do, because morals, and also everything is audited and tracked these days so I have to be able to justify every search I make.

If I started doing random searches with no accompanying paperwork I’d lose my job and find myself in criminal court pretty quickly.

If you’d like to yank her chain back tell her your partner has made a formal complaint to the Base Commanding Officer regarding this security breach.