The ICO exists to empower you through information.

News, blogs and speeches

280 in total

John Edwards speaks at TechUK Digital Ethics Summit 2023

06 December 2023, Speech

Kia ora, good morning and welcome to TechUK’s annual Digital Ethics summit. I’m happy to be here talking to you all, a roomful of people who care as much as I do about protecting people’s fundamental privacy rights.

UK Information Commissioner warns against 2024 becoming the year people lose trust in AI

06 December 2023, News

UK Information Commissioner, John Edwards, will today warn that 2024 could be the year people lose trust in AI – and call on tech developers to embed privacy into their products from the very start.

How data protection law can prevent harm in the housing sector

05 December 2023, Blog

Housing organisations require personal data to provide services and support to their residents – this could be anything from contact details to medical records.

We looked into text pests and here's what we found

29 November 2023, Blog

Earlier this year, you may have seen media reports about people receiving unwanted contact from 'text pests' after using services such as booking a taxi or ordering a pizza.

ICO reprimands council for disclosing domestic abuse victim’s details to ex-partner

29 November 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to Charnwood Borough Council after it disclosed the new address of a domestic abuse victim to her ex-partner.

Hospitals urged to improve data protection standards following incident at NHS Fife

28 November 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to NHS Fife, after an unauthorised person was able to enter a ward and access the personal information of 14 patients.

Statement on Court of Appeal judgment on Freedom of Information Act appeal

22 November 2023, Statement

The Court of Appeal has ruled against the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in a Freedom of Information Act 2000 appeal regarding the ability to aggregate public interest factors for and against disclosure when applying exemptions under the Act.

Commissioner warns UK’s top websites to make cookie changes

21 November 2023, Statement

Regulator makes clear it should be as easy to “Reject All” cookies as it is to “Accept All”

Statement regarding the outcome of the Independent External Review of Lancashire Police’s handling of the Nicola Bulley case

21 November 2023, Statement

John Edwards, Information Commissioner said: “It’s important that lessons can be learned from this tragic case, particularly around what information can be shared during a fast-paced investigation.

Former NHS secretary found guilty of illegally accessing medical records

17 November 2023, News

A former NHS employee has been found guilty and fined for illegally accessing the medical records of over 150 people.

Information Commissioner seeks permission to appeal Clearview AI Inc ruling

17 November 2023, Statement

The UK Information Commissioner is seeking permission to appeal the judgment of the First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) (Tribunal) on Clearview AI Inc (Clearview).

What to consider when using online forms to receive information requests

15 November 2023, Blog

As freedom of information (FOI) practitioners, you have a responsibility to help requesters clarify what it is they want from you.

‘Be smarter than your smart tech’ – ICO issues top tips for consumers buying smart devices on Black Friday

15 November 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has shared its top tips to support consumers shopping smart tech this Black Friday.

Assessing data protection practices of UK tracing agents

14 November 2023, Blog

Earlier this year a women’s charity raised concerns with us about the alleged actions of a tracing agent – an investigator using various methods to find a person’s current address details.

ICO and European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) sign Memorandum of Understanding

08 November 2023, News

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which reinforces their common mission to uphold individuals’ data protection and privacy rights, and cooperate internationally to achieve this goal.

An apology from the ICO to Dame Alison Rose

06 November 2023, Statement

The ICO recently investigated a complaint from Nigel Farage. The ICO's investigation was solely into NatWest's actions as a data controller.

Information Commissioner’s Office issues three fines totalling £170,000 for illegal direct marketing

02 November 2023, News

Three companies offering financial services have been fined £170,000 collectively by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for illegal direct marketing under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

ICO reprimands University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust for lost referrals

30 October 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust after a computer system caused some patient referrals to be delayed or lost altogether.

How data protection law can help retailers tackle shoplifting

24 October 2023, Blog

As statistics show that shoplifting is up by 27% across ten of the largest cities in the UK*, more retailers are turning to technology to protect their business. Data protection law enables…

ICO seeks Sandbox entrants for 2024

13 October 2023, News

Organisations have until the end of this year to submit expressions of interest in entering the ICO’s Regulatory Sandbox in 2024.

Paul Arnold at PDP’s Data Protection Compliance Conference 2023

12 October 2023, Speech

Thank you for such a warm welcome. It’s great to be with you today and a privilege to be opening today’s Data Protection Compliance Conference.

Court of Appeal rules ICO acted lawfully in subject access request complaint litigation

10 October 2023, News

The UK Information Commissioner has welcomed the Court of Appeal’s ruling on a long-running court battle over a subject access request complaint.

UK Information Commissioner issues preliminary enforcement notice against Snap

06 October 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued Snap, Inc and Snap Group Limited (Snap) with a preliminary enforcement notice over potential failure to properly assess the privacy risks posed by Snap’s generative AI chatbot ‘My AI’.

John Edwards' opening speech at DPPC 2023

03 October 2023, Speech

Hello and good morning everyone. I’d like to welcome you to this year’s Data Protection Practitioner’s Conference, or DPPC as we like to call it. It’s great to be here virtually, speaking to so many of you.

ICO publishes guidance to ensure lawful monitoring in the workplace

03 October 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling on organisations to consider both their legal obligations and their workers’ rights before they implement any monitoring in the workplace.