The ICO exists to empower you through information.

This consultation has closed

We have started a review on how personal data is being processed for the purposes of journalism.

This is a statutory review under Section 178 of the Data Protection Act 2018, and it will help us understand how the media industry has been using personal information since the new data protection laws came into effect in May 2018.

We have already asked media and journalist organisations about their data protection practices through a survey.

We now want to hear from those who have an interest in how the press and media are conforming with data protection and privacy rights, including legal professionals, civil society and campaign groups, academics, and individuals involved in matters of privacy in the media sector.

The questions in the online survey include universal data protection themes, as well as more specific areas of the industry such as the journalism exemptions. We are looking for your opinion of how these key themes are handled within the journalism and media sector.

While our audit department will be conducting the review, this is not a data protection audit but rather a discovery piece, designed to help us understand how personal data is used for the purposes of journalism. It will also provide valuable insight on how we can support this sector going forward.

Please complete the online questionnaire by Friday 2 December 2022. Responses submitted after the deadline may not be considered.

Responding to the consultation

If you have any general queries about this statutory review, please email us at [email protected].