British intelligence service cannot account for thousands of storage devices
IPCO says GCHQ still does not know the scale or location of the missing media.
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The British intelligence service GCHQ cannot account for thousands of removable storage devices that may contain sensitive information. This is stated in the annual report of IPCO, the UK regulator overseeing intelligence powers.
IPCO published its annual report on Thursday 29 October. According to the regulator, it has been known for years that GCHQ has no complete picture of the scale, location or recoverability of the missing storage media.
According to the report, the media may contain data covered by the Investigatory Powers Act. Among other things, that law governs powers to intercept and retain communications. The report does not say that the devices were stolen or that unauthorised persons gained access to them.
IPCO commissioner Brian Leveson writes that GCHQ still cannot say what happened to the storage media. He calls the uncertainty particularly worrying because the problem has been known to the service for several years.
GCHQ told The Register that its previous management system was not robust enough to properly track registered removable media. The service says it has taken measures in response to all of IPCO’s recommendations.
The regulator and GCHQ refer to thousands of devices, but no more precise figure is available. According to the report, the service is working on further tracing and on an automated system for tracking equipment.
The issue is relevant to European security services because removable storage forms a link between digital security and physical control. Until it is clear how many devices are actually missing and what data they contained, the scale of the risk will also remain uncertain.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- IPCO says GCHQ cannot fully account for thousands of removable storage media devices.
- The media may contain potentially sensitive data.
- No confirmed theft or unauthorised access has been reported.
- GCHQ says it has taken measures and is improving its records.
Left
Arguments Intelligence services must meet the same or stricter transparency and accountability standards as other government organisations, precisely because they work with sensitive data.
Values The rule of law, privacy and democratic oversight.
Consequences More oversight may bring errors to light sooner, but can make operational secrecy more complicated.
Centre
Arguments The issue calls for the records to be restored, independent oversight and clear deadlines, without presuming harm that has not been demonstrated.
Values Proportionality, institutional reliability and facts over assumptions.
Consequences A verifiable improvement plan can restore trust without immediately expanding powers or budgets.
Right
Arguments A security service must be able to demonstrate that it has proper physical control over sensitive data; failing procedures can harm national security and public funds.
Values Security, order and administrative responsibility.
Consequences Stricter security procedures and disciplinary accountability can reduce risks, but increase the burden of implementation.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The core claims have been confirmed by IPCO and by GCHQ’s response via The Register. The article clearly distinguishes between missing media and proven theft or data leaks.
- confirmed IPCO published its annual report on 29 October 2026. — The publication date is stated on the IPCO page. source
- confirmed GCHQ cannot fully establish the scale, location and recoverability of thousands of removable media devices. — This is stated in IPCO’s annual report and its summary. source
- confirmed The media may contain information covered by the Investigatory Powers Act. — IPCO and The Register refer to potentially IPA-related data. source
- confirmed There is no evidence that the devices were stolen or that unauthorised persons gained access. — The sources consulted report missing devices and inadequate record-keeping, but no confirmed theft or access. source
- confirmed GCHQ is working on automated tracking of the storage media. — The Register reports that GCHQ intends to introduce an automated system. source
Editor's note
IPCO confirms the core point: GCHQ cannot fully establish the scale, location and recoverability of thousands of removable media devices. No evidence of theft or unauthorised access has been found.Sources
- Publication of Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s 2025 Annual Report — Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office
- British intelligence agency misplaced 'thousands' of storage devices — The Register
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „gchq ipco”
- De Telegraaf — „gchq ipco”
- AD — „gchq ipco”