ICO and stakeholder consultations

Consultation on GDPR guidance on contracts and liabilities between controllers and processors

10 October 2017, ICO consultation, Closed

We are consulting on our draft guidance on contracts and liabilities between controllers and processors under the GDPR. The closing date for this consultation is 10 October 2017.

Feedback request – profiling and automated decision-making

28 April 2017, ICO consultation, Closed

GDPR consent guidance

31 March 2017, ICO consultation, Closed

  We are analysing the feedback received and this will feed into the final version. However we will not be able to publish the final version of our guidance until the Article 29 Working Party…

Privacy notices, transparency and control – a code of practice on communicating privacy information to individuals – summary of responses

07 October 2016, ICO consultation, Closed

Privacy notices, transparency and control – a code of practice on communicating privacy information to individuals

24 March 2016, ICO consultation, Closed

Consultation on the ICO Plan 2015-18

27 February 2015, ICO consultation, Closed

We are consulting on our plans for the next three years and welcome your views.

Ministry of Justice: Triennial review of the Information Commissioner's Office

16 January 2015, ICO consultation, Closed

The ICO has submitted its response to the Ministry of Justice’s Call for Evidence in respect of the Triennial Review of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Ministry of Justice: Triennial review of the Information Commissioner’s Office

16 January 2015, Stakeholder, Closed

The Ministry of Justice has announced a triennial review of the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Privacy seals: draft framework criteria

03 October 2014, ICO consultation, Closed

A privacy seal scheme acts as a ‘stamp of approval’ highlighting an organisation’s commitment to maintaining good privacy standards. The ICO will be endorsing at least one privacy seal scheme, operated by an independent third party in the UK. The ICO’s endorsement is conditional on the scheme’s operator achieving official accreditation by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS). The ICO will invite proposals for a privacy seal scheme in the Autumn 2014, with a view to selecting a proposal in early 2015. The ICO is aiming to launch the first round of endorsed schemes in 2016. This consultation provides an opportunity for organisations to provide their views on the framework criteria that proposals for schemes will be assessed against. This will inform the final version of the framework criteria, which will be published with the invitation for proposals.

Data protection and journalism: a guide for the media

04 September 2014, ICO consultation, Closed

In the report of the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press, Lord Justice Leveson recommended that the ICO should, in consultation with the industry, issue comprehensive guidelines and advice on appropriate principles and standards to be observed by the press in the processing of personal data. Our draft data protection guide for the media responds to that recommendation. It covers the Data Protection Act as it currently stands – any proposed changes to the law would be for the government to consider and take forward separately. We ran a short consultation last year on proposals for the form, scope and structure of our guidance. A summary of the responses to that consultation was published, and the responses informed the development of our draft guide.

ICO Privacy Seals consultation on framework criteria - summary of responses

03 September 2014, ICO consultation, Closed

CCTV code of practice – revised

01 July 2014, ICO consultation, Closed

This revised code of practice on CCTV is intended to replace the last revision which was published in 2008. The aim of this revision is to reflect the developments in existing technologies that have taken place since the last revision, to discuss the emergence of new surveillance technologies and the issues they present, to reflect further policy development in areas such as privacy impact assessments, to explain the impact that new case law has had on the area of surveillance systems and to reflect the wider regulatory environment that exists when using surveillance systems.

Looking ahead, staying ahead: Towards a 2020 vision for information rights

07 February 2014, ICO consultation, Closed

The ICO is the regulator for information rights – the right to privacy and the right to know. As the issues around data and the right of access to official information become ever more significant to the work of public, private and third sectors, the ICO has been reviewing its own role and impact. We’ve been considering what will be required of us over the next period and what we might do differently – and we wanted to hear from the public and our stakeholders about our ideas. This publication set out our proposed direction for the ICO for the next five years and beyond.

Our new approach to data protection concerns

31 January 2014, ICO consultation, Closed

As part of the Information Commissioner’s Office’s commitment to deliver our regulatory responsibilities as efficiently and effectively as possible we reviewed our approach to how we deal with the complaints and concerns the public raise with us under the Data Protection Act.

Consultation on the Conducting privacy impact assessments code of practice

05 November 2013, ICO consultation, Closed

The new code of practice on conducting privacy impact assessments (PIAs) is intended to replace the current PIA Handbook. The aim of the new code is to produce a practical guide which will help organisations conduct assessments of new projects that involve the use of personal information. The code explains the key principles behind a PIA and suggests how a PIA can be integrated with an organisation’s project and risk management processes. We consulted to gather the views of stakeholders and the public about the new draft code. These views will inform the final version. The closing date for the consultation was 5 November 2013. We will publish the finalised code of practice on this website along with a summary of consultation responses.

Cabinet Office: Datasets code of practice consultation

01 July 2013, Stakeholder, Closed

The Cabinet Office is ran an online consultation for a code of practice regarding recent changes to the Freedom of Information Act described by the ICO’s Head of Policy Delivery as “upgrading the legislation for the internet age”. The code of practice provides authorities with guidance on dealing with changes to freedom of information legislation. The changes require public authorities to release electronic datasets in a form that allows them to be re-used, so far as reasonably practicable. Steve Wood, ICO Head of Policy Delivery, said: “The open data amendments to the Freedom of Information Act upgrade the legislation for the internet age. It means moving on from simply providing the public with information to looking at the way public authorities release it, for instance in reusable formats and with open licenses. Placing these new legal requirements on public authorities will enable new forms of accountability and transparency. It is important practitioners in public authorities have the right guidance to practically explain the new concepts and assist them in their compliance with these new requirements. The ICO welcomes the new guidance proposed in the revised code of practice and encourages public authorities to respond to the consultation.” The Cabinet Office published the Code of practice in July 2013.

Consultation on data protection and the press code of practice

15 March 2013, ICO consultation, Closed

In considering the impact of the current framework of data protection law on the press Lord Justice Leveson has recommended that the Information Commissioner’s Office prepare and issue comprehensive good practice guidelines and advice on appropriate principles and standards to be observed by the press in the processing of personal data. The ICO therefore proposes to issue a code of practice under section 51 of the Data Protection Act in relation to the law as it currently stands. This short public consultation on the likely scope and content of the proposed ICO code of practice is an important first step in ensuring our stakeholders have an opportunity to let us know their views and engage in constructive dialogue to develop a common understanding of how data protection legislation applies to the media. This will be followed by a full public consultation on the code itself.

Consultation on the ICO Plan 2013-2016

01 March 2013, ICO consultation, Closed

The ICO Plan details the strategic outcomes the ICO is seeking to deliver and how it intends to achieve these outcomes. We are interested in the views of the public and stakeholders on our plan.

Consultation on the draft subject access code of practice

21 February 2013, ICO consultation, Closed

The subject access code of practice explains the rights that individuals have to access their personal data, and sets out the obligations of data controllers. This code is intended to help you provide subject access in accordance with the law and good practice. It aims to do this by explaining how to recognise a subject access request and by offering practical advice about how to deal with, and respond to, such a request. It provides guidance on the limited circumstances in which personal data is exempt from subject access. The code also explains how the right of subject access can be enforced when things go wrong. We are consulting on the draft version of the subject access code of practice to gather the views of individuals, stakeholders and organisations who process personal data. These views will inform the final published version of the code of practice. The consultation will play an important role in ensuring the new code achieves the right balance between the protection of individuals’ privacy and proportionate obligations for organisations.

Consultation on changes to the ICO’s notification process

14 February 2013, ICO consultation, Closed

We are currently reviewing our notification service and the public register of data controllers in order to make it easier for data controllers to notify and for visitors to use and navigate the register. We would like to hear from data controllers and visitors who regularly use the public register to help us make our future service even more useful to our customers and other stakeholders.

Consultation on the draft Anonymisation code of practice

23 August 2012, ICO consultation, Closed

The code of practice will provide guidance on how to assess the risks of identification and how information can be successfully anonymised. The code is intended to demonstrate that the effective anonymisation of personal data is possible, desirable and can help society to ensure the availability of rich data resources whilst protecting individuals’ privacy.

Consultation on guide to Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations audits

18 June 2012, ICO consultation, Closed

In May 2011 we were given powers to undertake audits of the security arrangements of service providers. We have produced a guide to explain how we will conduct these audits and we are now asking for the views of stakeholders on our proposed approach.

Consultation on the ICO Plan 2012-2015

20 March 2012, ICO consultation, Closed

We are asking for the views of stakeholders on the ICO Plan 2012-2015. The ICO Plan details the strategic outcomes the ICO is seeking and how the ICO intends to achieve these outcomes over the next three years. In effect the Plan combines the business and corporate plans developed for previous years into one, more focused, document. It will be reviewed annually.

Ministry of Justice: call for evidence on EU data protection proposals

06 March 2012, Stakeholder, Closed

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has launched a call for evidence on new legislative proposals for data protection which were published by the European Commission on 25 January 2012. The proposals consist of a draft Regulation setting out a general EU framework for data protection and a draft Directive on protecting personal data processed for the purposes of prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of criminal offences and related judicial activities.

Consultation on the ICO's Information Rights Strategy

12 August 2011, ICO consultation, Closed

The ICO's Information Rights Strategy is being introduced in the light of our commitment to integrate our data protection and freedom of information activities wherever we can. It replaces our former, separate data protection and freedom of information strategies.