Data Commissioner to discuss remote access to voicemails after hacking scandal

Officials from the Data Protection Commissioner's Office are to meet mobile phone providers next week to discuss ending remote access to voicemail messages.

It follows the News of the World's phone-hacking scandal in Britain, where journalists stand accused of listening to people's private voicemails using the remote access service.

Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes has asked phone companies to consider removing this facility, which is never used by the vast majority of mobile users.

"We're questioning the need for this facility, because most of us carry our mobile phones with us all the time," he said.