The Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO) estimated in its Annual Report 2025 that Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) could not immediately locate a maximum pool of removable-media items in the thousands. The estimate covers unlocated inventory; IPCO said GCHQ would establish the confirmed-loss count after further work. The report covers IPCO’s work during 2025 and was ordered to be printed on October 29, 2026. Read the annual report.
What IPCO’s estimate counts
The estimate refers to the maximum number of items GCHQ could not immediately locate, not a confirmed tally of lost devices. IPCO said the agency would report how many items were confirmed lost after further work.
The media covered by the report
USB sticks are part of a wider category that also includes external hard drives, compact discs, memory cards and other portable storage devices. IPCO said GCHQ uses removable media extensively and that it is essential to some of the agency’s operating processes.
GCHQ’s monitoring plan and IPCO’s follow-up
GCHQ had commissioned a tool to monitor the issue, storage and location of removable media, with use planned for 2026. IPCO said GCHQ’s work to locate and recover the media continued during 2025. It also planned inspections and regular written progress reports during 2026.
Possible data on the media
IPCO said some of the media may contain data related to the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA).
