The UK government monitored millions of electric vehicle (EV) drivers through their mobile phones in a study aimed at assessing EV adoption and usage patterns.
Details of the Surveillance Project
The Department for Transport (DfT) hired mobile network operator O2 to analyze data from 25 million devices over two years. This £600,000 initiative sought a detailed overview of EV ownership and travel habits.
O2 tracked phone locations, car journeys, and movements of individuals using EV-related apps. The firm identified EV users by examining web browsing history among its customers and those on networks like Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, GiffGaff, and Virgin Mobile, which rely on O2’s infrastructure.
Data remained fully anonymized and aggregated before delivery to the DfT, ensuring no links to personal identities.
Objectives and Outcomes
The project focused on key metrics: overnight EV parking locations, nationwide ownership distribution, trip frequency, destinations, and distances driven.
Conducted under the prior Conservative administration, the study concluded before Labour’s 2024 election victory. Officials determined that mobile data proved insufficient for insights into charging behaviors or precise travel times, prompting its end.
During this period, the DfT and Treasury also examined potential new taxes on EVs.
O2’s Data Service and Privacy Concerns
O2 provided this tracking via its commercial service, O2 Motion. It remains unclear if partner networks knew of the data usage.
The initiative highlights ongoing debates about the extent of mobile data collection by providers and its applications.
Official Response
A DfT spokesperson stated: ‘This was a time-limited project using fully anonymised and aggregated data, with no risk of being linked to any individual’s personal information or location.’
