News, blogs and speeches

London Borough of Hackney reprimanded following cyber-attack

17 July 2024, Statement, Local government

We have issued the London Borough of Hackney with a reprimand following a cyber-attack in 2020 that led to hackers gaining access to and encrypting 440,000 files, affecting at least 280,000 residents and other individuals including staff.

Information Commissioner calls for water companies to be crystal clear with public over sewage pollution

15 July 2024, News

Water companies must put transparency first if they want to rebuild public trust, we have warned.

Sut rydyn ni’n helpu’r lluoedd heddlu i gydymffurfio gyda FOIA – a beth ni’n gwneud os nad ydyn nhw.

10 July 2024, Blog

Mae’r hawl sylfaenol i holi awdurdodau cyhoeddus a’u dwyn i gyfrif yn un o gonglfeini’n democratiaeth.

How we help police forces comply with FOIA - and what we do if they don't

10 July 2024, Blog

The fundamental right to ask questions of and hold public authorities to account is a cornerstone of our democracy.

Do I really need to read the privacy notice?

09 July 2024, News

At the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), we are encouraging people to check how an app plans to use their personal information before they sign up.

ICO statement on its public sector approach trial

26 June 2024, Statement

In June 2022 we revised our approach to working with public sector organisations and started a two-year trial, as set out in our open letter at the time.

Statement in response to Synnovis cyber attack

21 June 2024, Statement

An ICO spokesperson said: "While we are continuing to make enquiries into this matter, we recognise the sensitivity of some of the information in question and the worry this may have caused. …

Statement in response to Meta's plans to train generative AI with user data

14 June 2024, Statement

Stephen Almond, Executive Director, Regulatory Risk at the ICO, said: “We are pleased that Meta has reflected on the concerns we shared from users of their service in the UK, and responded to…

ICO to investigate 23andMe data breach with Canadian counterpart

10 June 2024, Statement

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) have launched a joint investigation into the data breach that happened in October 2023 at the global direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe.

Understanding what information people commonly request from public authorities

03 June 2024, Blog

Aiden Clarkson Senior Upstream Regulation Officer - FOI and Transparency People can use the WhatDoTheyKnow (WDTK) website to submit Freedom of Information (FOI) and…

The General Election and my personal data - what should I expect?

30 May 2024, Blog

We have been working with fellow regulators, and with those organisations and individuals who will be handling your personal information during the upcoming election campaign, to ensure expectations around compliance with the law are clear.

PSNI facing a £750k fine following spreadsheet error that exposed the personal information of its entire workforce

23 May 2024, News

Data breach brought tangible fear of threat to life

Statement in response to Microsoft Recall feature

22 May 2024, Statement

“We expect organisations to be transparent with users about how their data is being used and only process personal data to the extent that it is necessary to achieve a specific purpose.

We warn organisations must not ignore data protection risks as we conclude Snap ‘My AI’ chatbot investigation

21 May 2024, News

ICO concludes investigation into Snap’s approach to assessing the data protection risks of its ‘My AI’ chatbot

Car rental manager fined after unlawfully obtaining customer data

16 May 2024, News

A former Management Trainee at Enterprise Rent-A-Car UK Limited ("Enterprise Rent-A-Car") has been ordered to pay a fine after admitting he illegally obtained customer data between 18 March 2019 and 1 April 2019.

No regulatory wild west: how the ICO applies the law to emerging tech

15 May 2024, Speech

John Edwards, Information Commissioner, delivers speech at the New Scientist Emerging Technogies summit, 15 May 2024.

Children’s services in Birmingham reprimanded after inappropriately disclosing a child’s personal information

13 May 2024, News

We have issued a reprimand to Birmingham Children's Trust Community Interest Company after the personal information of a child was inappropriately disclosed to another family.

Organisations must do more to combat the growing threat of cyber attacks

10 May 2024, News

We are calling for all organisations to boost their cyber security and protect the personal information they hold, amid the growing threat of cyber attacks. Our own trend data reveals…

Statement in response to reports of a cyber breach at the Ministry of Defence

08 May 2024, Statement

Our spokesperson said: “The Ministry of Defence has made us aware of this incident and we are assessing the information provided”. Q&A from the Information Commissioner’s Office …

First-tier Tribunal ruling on Join the Triboo appeal

07 May 2024, Statement

We welcome the ruling from the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) on an appeal from Join the Triboo Limited . The online recruitment firm appealed a fine of £130,000 and an…

A joint statement by Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office on collaboration on the regulation of online services

01 May 2024, Statement

We have published a joint statement with Ofcom about collaboration on the regulation of online services where online safety and data protection intersect.

Information Commissioner: Persistent sensitive information breaches failing people living with HIV

30 April 2024, News

People living with HIV denied “basic dignity and privacy” by repeated data breaches that disclose their HIV status

Director’s update: the FOI year in review

24 April 2024, Blog

It’s fair to say that it’s been a heck of a year for the FOI team.

ICO statement on Upper Tribunal ruling

24 April 2024, Statement

The Upper Tribunal has ruled on the ICO’s action to require Experian Limited to change how it handles people’s personal data, dismissing the ICO’s appeal of the First-tier Tribunal’s ruling of 20 February 2023.

ICO yn dirwyo dau gwmni cyfanswm o £340,000 am wneud galwadau marchnata ymosodol a digroeso

24 April 2024, News

Bron 1.43 miliwn o alwadau wedi’u gwneud dros gyfnod o 13 mis

ICO fines two companies a total of £340,000 for making aggressive and unwanted marketing calls

24 April 2024, News

Almost 1.43 million calls made over a 13-month period.

Housing association reprimanded for exposing personal information on online portal

17 April 2024, News

We have issued a reprimand to Clyde Valley Housing Association in Lanarkshire after personal information was accessible to other residents on an online customer portal.

ICO publishes guidance to improve transparency in health and social care

15 April 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is supporting health and social care organisations to ensure they are being transparent with people about how their personal information is being used.

Information Commissioner’s Office seeks views on accuracy of generative AI models

12 April 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched the latest instalment in its consultation series examining how data protection law applies to the development and use of generative AI.

ICO joins global data protection and privacy enforcement programme

04 April 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has signed onto a new international multilateral agreement with the Global Cooperation Arrangement for Privacy Enforcement (Global CAPE) to cooperate in cross-border data protection and privacy enforcement.

ICO sets out priorities to protect children's privacy online

03 April 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling on social media and video-sharing platforms to improve their data protection practices so children are safer when using their services. This comes as the regulator sets out its 2024-2025 priorities for protecting children's personal information online.

ICO statement in response to reports of data breach at The London Clinic

20 March 2024, Statement

An ICO spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.”

ICO publishes new fining guidance

18 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office has published new data protection fining guidance setting out how it decides to issue penalties and calculate fines.

ICO reprimands Dover Harbour Board and Kent Police over information sharing

15 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued reprimands to Dover Harbour Board and Kent Police after they breached data protection law.

ICO reprimands London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime for complaint web form error

14 March 2024, News

Web form to complain about the Metropolitan Police Service accidentally revealed victims' data

ICO fines Wigan-based Pinnacle Life £80,000 for “predatory” spam call campaign

07 March 2024, News

Wigan-based company Pinnacle Life has been fined £80,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a year-long unlawful spam phone call campaign.

ICO launches “consent or pay” call for views and updates on cookie compliance work

06 March 2024, Blog

A blog by Stephen Almond, Executive Director, Regulatory Risk.

ICO warns charities about direct marketing rules as it orders Penny Appeal to stop sending spam texts

05 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has ordered a charity to stop sending unsolicited marketing texts to people without their consent, as it reminds all charities of their legal obligations.

ICO takes regulatory action against five public authorities under the FOI Act

04 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has taken action against five public authorities for continued failings to meet their obligations under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

Information Commissioner calls for senior leaders to take transparency seriously

04 March 2024, News

Today, as my office takes further regulatory action against five public organisations for their continued failings to meet their obligations under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, I am writing to remind you that transparency is essential if the people and communities we serve are to have confidence in the way that public services are delivered.

Y Comisiynydd Gwybodaeth yn galw ar uwch arweinwyr i gymryd tryloywder o ddifrif

04 March 2024, News

Heddiw, wrth i'm swyddfa gymryd camau rheoleiddio pellach yn erbyn pedwar sefydliad cyhoeddus am eu methiannau parhaus i gyflawni eu rhwymedigaethau o dan y Ddeddf Rhyddid Gwybodaeth, rwy’n ysgrifennu atoch i'ch atgoffa bod tryloywder yn hanfodol os yw'r bobl a'r cymunedau rydyn ni’n eu gwasanaethu i fod yn hyderus yn y ffordd y mae gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn cael eu darparu.

ICO reassures employers they can share staff data in a mental health emergency

01 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published new guidance to give employers more certainty about sharing their workers’ personal details in a mental health emergency.

ICO reprimands West Midlands Police for data protection failure

01 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to West Midlands Police (WMP) after the force repeatedly mixed up two people’s personal information.

ICO finds the Home Office’s pilot of GPS electronic monitoring of migrants breached UK data protection law

01 March 2024, News

Home Office pilot scheme failed to assess privacy intrusion of GPS monitoring.

ICO and Federal Communications Commission sign Memorandum of Understanding

29 February 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which formalises their commitment to work together to protect people from unwanted nuisance calls, spam messaging and the misuse of private and sensitive data.

ICO statement in response to Angiolini Inquiry

29 February 2024, Statement

The Angiolini Inquiry has published its first report, following its review of the murder of Sarah Everard.

John Edwards speaks at IAPP’s Data Protection Intensive UK

28 February 2024, Speech

Commissioner discusses three of the ICO’s key areas of focus in 2024.

Yr ICO yn galw ar bobl i rannu profiadau wrth gael mynediad at gofnodion gofal, gan addo gwella’r cymorth

28 February 2024, News

Mae Swyddfa'r Comisiynydd Gwybodaeth (ICO) yn galw ar bobl sydd â phrofiad o'r system ofal yn y Deyrnas Unedig i rannu'r heriau maen nhw wedi'u hwynebu wrth gael mynediad at eu cofnodion gofal gan sefydliadau.

Supporting the right of access for people with experience of the care system in Scotland

28 February 2024, Blog

Records of personal information are so important to people who have experience of the care system, as they are often key to understanding their personal history and identity.

ICO calls for people to share experiences accessing care records as it vows to improve support

28 February 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling on people with experience of the care system in the UK to share the challenges they have faced when accessing their care records from organisations.

ICO orders Serco Leisure to stop using facial recognition technology to monitor attendance of leisure centre employees

23 February 2024, News

Regulator issues enforcement notices ordering Serco Leisure and community leisure trusts to stop using FRT and fingerprint scanning to monitor workers’ attendance

Information Commissioner’s Office tells platforms to respect information rights when moderating online content

16 February 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is working to support people's information rights online by ensuring organisations understand their data protection obligations when seeking to make…

Practical tips for small beauty and wellbeing businesses this Valentine’s Day

14 February 2024, News

Show your customers you care – about their information rights – this Valentine’s Day.

ICO approves legal services certification scheme

13 February 2024, Statement, Legal

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has approved a certification scheme aimed at legal service providers who process personal data. Certification schemes were introduced under the…

ICO responds to Home Office’s draft regulations to the immigration exemption

12 February 2024, Statement

The Information Commissioner's Office has welcomed proposed government changes to provide clearer safeguards around how people in a potentially vulnerable position within the immigration system are able to access the information held about them.

ICO urges all app developers to prioritise privacy

08 February 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office is reminding all app developers to ensure they protect users’ privacy, following the regulator’s review of period and fertility apps.

ICO warns organisations to proactively make advertising cookies compliant after positive response to November call to action

31 January 2024, Blog

Last November we wrote to 53 of the UK’s top 100 websites, warning that they faced enforcement action if they did not make changes to advertising cookies to comply with data protection law.

New ICO campaign promotes sharing data to safeguard children

29 January 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office is partnering with education, law enforcement and social service organisations to raise awareness about responsible data sharing to protect children from harm.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reprimanded for “serious, harmful” data breach

25 January 2024, Statement, Health

Investigation found Trust staff not prepared for handling sensitive communications

ICO fines financial services company £50k for spam text messages

19 January 2024, News

Financial services company LADH Limited has been fined £50,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for sending tens of thousands of spam text messages, in breach of Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

ICO publishes updated Commissioner’s Opinion on age assurance for the Children’s code

18 January 2024, News

New Opinion gives clarity to organisations on how to comply with age assurance

Accelerated Access to GP Records (AAGPR) DPIA's response

17 January 2024, Statement, Health

Over recent weeks, a number of Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) have been submitted by GP Practices. The subject of the DPIAs is the implementation of the Accelerated Access to GP Records…

Two home improvement companies fined a total of £250,000 for making illegal marketing calls

16 January 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined two home improvement companies a total of £250,000 for bombarding people on the UK’s ‘do not call’ register with millions of unlawful marketing calls.

Information Commissioner’s Office launches consultation series on generative AI

15 January 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a consultation series on generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), examining how aspects of data protection law should apply to the development and use of the technology.

ICO fines HelloFresh £140,000 for spam texts and emails

12 January 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined food delivery company HelloFresh £140,000 for a campaign of 79 million spam emails and 1 million spam texts over a seven-month period.

Are you clear on clarifying information requests?

10 January 2024, Blog

Public organisations hold a huge amount of information across a wide range of areas.

Information Commissioner’s Office MBE awards in the King’s New Year Honours List

30 December 2023, News

ICO Deputy Chief Executive, Paul Arnold and Senior Independent Director, Nicola Wood have been awarded MBEs in the King’s New Year Honours List. Paul Arnold receives his award for services to…

ICO statement in response to parliamentarians' letter on facial recognition technology

22 December 2023, Statement

Facial recognition technology can bring benefits in helping to prevent and detect crime, but it relies on processing large amounts of sensitive personal data.

“We are not seeing the improvement both we and the public need” – ICO issues enforcement notice to GMP over transparency failures

20 December 2023, News

Enforcement notice issued to Greater Manchester Police over failure to clear Freedom of Information backlog

Bank of Ireland UK reprimanded for inaccurate data on customers’ accounts

15 December 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued Bank of Ireland UK with a reprimand for mistakes made on more than 3,000 customers’ credit profiles.

ICO fines Ministry of Defence for Afghan evacuation data breach

13 December 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined the Ministry of Defence (MoD) £350,000 for disclosing personal information of people seeking relocation to the UK shortly after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021.

Two new employment guidance pieces out for consultation

12 December 2023, News

We are producing an online resource with topic-specific guidance on employment practices and data protection. We are releasing our drafts of the different topic areas in stages and adding to the resource over time, and two new pieces of guidance are now out for public consultation.

Court of Appeal ruling on immigration exemption brings ‘greater empathy’ - Commissioner

11 December 2023, News

The Court of Appeal has ruled that the government must make changes to the immigration exemption in the Data Protection Act 2018 to make it clearer.

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).

John Edwards delivers UK Finance keynote speech

31 October 2023, Speech

Kia ora. I hope you’ve had an interesting and thought-provoking conference. Thank you for sticking around until the end of the day to hear me speak – it’s a difficult gig closing a conference, so your eyes and ears are much appreciated. And thanks to David Postings, CEO of UK Finance, for inviting me here today.

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.

Information Commissioner calls on public authorities to stop using spreadsheets in FOI responses

28 September 2023, News

Advice comes following recent high profile data breaches.

Data breaches put domestic abuse victims’ lives at risk, UK Information Commissioner warns

27 September 2023, News

Warning comes after the ICO reprimands seven organisations in the past 14 months for data breaches affecting victims of domestic abuse.

“This needs to be dealt with.” - ICO issues Enforcement Notice to City of York Council over FOI backlog

21 September 2023, News

Information Commissioner issues Enforcement Notice relating to backlog of 261 FOI requests

ICO issues half a million pounds in new fines as fight to tackle illegal nuisance calls continues

20 September 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued fines totalling £590,000 to five companies for collectively making 1.9 million unwanted marketing calls which targeted the elderly and people with vulnerabilities.

ICO statement following potential police cyber breach

14 September 2023, Statement

Following media reporting of a potential cyber breach affecting Greater Manchester Police, Elizabeth Baxter, Head of Cyber Investigations at the Information Commissioner’s Office, said: “Police officers and staff expect their information to be kept secure, and are right to be concerned when that doesn’t happen. This incident has been reported to us, and we’ll now be looking into what happened, and asking questions on behalf of anyone affected."

Share information to protect children and young people at risk, urges UK Information Commissioner

14 September 2023, News

Organisations will not get in trouble if they share information to protect children and young people at risk of serious harm, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has promised.

Former social services council employee fined for unlawfully accessing sensitive personal data

13 September 2023, News

A former family intervention officer at St Helens Borough Council has been sentenced for unlawfully accessing social services records.

ICO statement in response to Which? report on smart devices harvesting data

07 September 2023, Statement

Stephen Almond, Executive Director - Regulatory Risk said: “People should be able to enjoy the benefits of using their connected devices without having excessive amounts of their personal data gathered.

ICO to review period and fertility tracking apps as poll shows more than half of women are concerned over data security

07 September 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is reviewing period and fertility apps as new figures show more than half of women have concerns over data security.

ICO publishes new guidance on sending bulk communications by email

30 August 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has today issued a warning to organisations to use alternatives to the blind carbon copy (BCC) email function when sending emails containing sensitive personal information, following a catalogue of business blunders.

Joint statement on data scraping and data protection

24 August 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office and eleven other data protection and privacy authorities from around the world have today published a joint statement calling for the protection of people’s personal data from unlawful data scraping taking place on social media sites.

One in three young people falling prey to ‘text pests’ as ICO calls for victims to come forward

22 August 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has today launched a call for victims of so-called ‘text pests’ to come forward to help the regulator gather evidence of the impact of this illegal behaviour.

ICO consultation on the draft biometric data guidance

18 August 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is producing guidance on biometric data and biometric technologies.

ICO response to a data breach at Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies

15 August 2023, Statement

Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies have announced a data breach relating to responses for Freedom of Information (FOI) requests for crime statistics, issued between April 2021 and March 2022.

“We are continuing to deliver for the public” – ICO publishes practice recommendations and enforcement notices on FOI

10 August 2023, News

The ICO has today published action on five public bodies – Liverpool City Council, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, the Ministry of Defence and the Environment Agency - for failures to meet expected standards in responding to Freedom of Information Act requests.

Director’s update – Delivering more strategic regulation in 12 months than in the lifetime of FOI

10 August 2023, Blog

Just over a year ago, I announced that we had published our new Freedom of Information (FOI) regulatory manual, which set out our approach to more strategic enforcement of FOI in line with our statutory powers.

ICO statement in response to reports of a data breach at the Police Service of Northern Ireland

09 August 2023, Statement

People have the right to expect that their personal information is kept safe and not disclosed when it shouldn't be.

ICO and CMA: Harmful online design encourages consumers to hand over personal information

09 August 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are calling for businesses to stop using harmful website designs that can trick consumers into giving up more of their personal data than they would like.

It’s time to end damaging website design practices that may harm your users

09 August 2023, Blog

Have you ever considered the power you hold over people who visit your website? The website design practices you put in place can make their user journeys as smooth as silk, making it easier to find exactly what they’re looking for and encourage them to come back – but the darker side of that power is when it is used to pressurise and confuse.

ICO statement in response to reports of a cyber-related incident at the Electoral Commission

08 August 2023, Statement

The Electoral Commission has contacted us regarding this incident and we are currently making enquiries.

‘Hang up, report them to us – you don’t owe nuisance callers your time’

02 August 2023, News

ICO advice to people receiving cold calls, as government looks to ban cold calls on financial products.

ICO statement on Meta

02 August 2023, Statement

Stephen Almond, ICO Executive Director of Regulatory Risk, said: “As a digital regulator, we pay close attention to how companies operate internationally and how people’s rights are respected. …

ICO warns of email data breach risk as it issues two reprimands

02 August 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office has reprimanded two Northern Irish organisations for disclosing people’s information inappropriately via email.

ICO reprimands NHS Lanarkshire for sharing patient data via WhatsApp

01 August 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to NHS Lanarkshire, following staff’s unauthorised use of WhatsApp to share patients’ personal data over the course of two years.

ICO statement on WorldCoin

31 July 2023, Statement

An ICO spokesperson said: “Organisations must conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) before starting any processing that is likely to result in high risk, such as processing special…

ICO statement on banks sharing and gathering personal information

26 July 2023, Statement

Concern at banks sharing personal information with media

Helping public organisations to get information access right

20 July 2023, Blog

In ICO25, we established our strategic enduring objective to promote openness, transparency and accountability.

Joint letter from the ICO and FCA to UK Finance and Building Societies Association

18 July 2023, Statement

It is more important than ever, with increasing cost of living pressures, for firms to ensure their customers are receiving fair value on their savings.

What happens when they don’t pay? Our work to tackle unlawful marketing calls and messages

17 July 2023, Blog

Anyone can be on the receiving end of nuisance marketing calls, texts and emails – not only are they inconvenient and an invasion of privacy, they can also cause real distress. Nobody should be made to feel uncomfortable after simply answering the phone, receiving a text or opening their emails. We know the harm they can do. That’s why we’re committed to protecting both people and businesses by taking robust action to stop companies from making or sending unlawful marketing communications.

ICO backs new data sharing schemes to protect gamblers from harm

13 July 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has today backed proposals for the financial sector to share data with gambling companies to protect customers from unaffordable losses.

ICO Sandbox publishes exit report following work with the Betting and Gaming Council to reduce incidents of gambling related harm

13 July 2023, News

The ICO’s Regulatory Sandbox aims to support organisations who are creating products and services which utilise personal data in innovative and safe ways. The Betting and Gaming Council entered the Sandbox to explore the gambling industry’s development and trial of a Single Customer View (SCV) solution. The trial built on the work previously undertaken by the Gambling Commission within the Sandbox in 2021. The SCV solution developed by the BGC and the participating operators (Entain, William Hill, 888, Gamesys, Bet365 and Flutter) aims to enable a more unified and proactive intervention by gambling operators to reduce incidents of gambling related harm. Following the completion of the Sandbox pilot, the data-sharing project – now known as GamProtect – will be implemented across the gambling industry with support from the Betting and Gaming Council.

ICO submits Data protection and journalism code of practice to the Secretary of State

06 July 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published a code of practice about using personal information for journalism (the code), and formally submitted it to the Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

“They are failing their residents.” - ICO takes action against Croydon Council for failing to respond to Freedom of Information requests

30 June 2023, News

Council hit with enforcement notice for “repeated, systemic” failures on information law.

ICO urges organisations to harness the power of data safely by using privacy enhancing technologies

19 June 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is recommending organisations to start using privacy enhancing technologies (PETs) to share people’s personal information safely, securely and anonymously.

Don’t be blind to AI risks in rush to see opportunity – ICO reviewing key businesses’ use of generative AI

15 June 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will today call for businesses to address the privacy risks generative AI can bring before rushing to adopt the technology – with tougher checks on whether organisations are compliant with data protection laws.

Two energy firms fined combined £250,000 for making unlawful marketing calls

08 June 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined two energy companies a total of £250,000 for bombarding people and businesses on the UK’s ‘do not call’ register with unlawful marketing calls.

ICO warns of “real danger” of discrimination in new technologies that monitor the brain

08 June 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office is warning that newly emerging neurotechnologies risk discriminating against people if those groups are not put at the heart of their development.

ICO reprimands Thames Valley Police for releasing witness details to suspected criminals

02 June 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to Thames Valley Police (TVP) after details were released which led to suspected criminals learning the address of a witness.

John Edwards, Information Commissioner, delivers a keynote speech at the Data and the Future of Financial Services Summit

26 May 2023, Speech

Event took place on 17 May 2023

ICO statement on Capita incident

25 May 2023, Statement

Capita has reported an incident to us and we are assessing the information provided.

Statement in response to the Open Rights Group’s report

25 May 2023, Statement

The ICO does not share the views in the Open Rights Group report.

ICO issues Ministry of Justice with reprimand after confidential personal information left in prison holding area

24 May 2023, News

The ICO has issued a formal reprimand to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) after confidential waste documents were left in an unsecured prison holding area.

“It’s important not to get caught out.” - New SARs guidance for employers issued

24 May 2023, News

ICO publishes new guide on responding to subject access requests

Information Commissioner John Edwards' opening remarks at the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), delivered on 23 May 2023.

23 May 2023, Speech

My principal reason for being here is to provide you with reassurance that I take my responsibility of protecting Europeans data in the United Kingdom very seriously, and that I will continue to do so through the process of law reform, and beyond.

ICO fines two businesses £180,000 for making unlawful marketing calls

16 May 2023, News

The Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO) has issued fines totalling £180,000 for two companies that made more than 480,000 unlawful marketing calls to businesses signed up with the UK’s “Do not call” register.

ICO takes action against both Plymouth City Council and Norfolk County Council for failing to respond to information access requests

15 May 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has reprimanded two councils that have failed to respond to the public when asked for personal information held about them – known as a Subject Access Request (SAR).

ICO takes action against Shropshire Council for failing to respond to Freedom of Information requests

09 May 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued an enforcement notice to Shropshire Council for its poor handling of requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

Necessity and proportionality: questions police must ask when considering sharing personal information with the public

09 May 2023, Blog

A blog by Emily Keaney, the ICO's Deputy Commissioner for Regulatory Policy.

Protecting privacy during a pandemic: our work on the UK’s Covid apps

25 April 2023, Blog

A blog by Ian Hulme, the ICO's Director of Regulatory Assurance.

ICO launches FOI toolkit topic to help public bodies deal with vexatious requests

25 April 2023, News

Continuing with its commitment to improving freedom of information (FOI) services, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched the third topic in its FOI toolkit to enable public authorities to self-assess how they deal with vexatious requests.

Local elections and my personal data - what should I expect?

24 April 2023, Blog

With local elections in England and Northern Ireland on the horizon, we know many people have questions about how their data may be used during an election. Personal information is an important part of political campaigning. It allows political parties to get crucial messages to voters and helps them to understand the key issues for different people.

ICO reprimands Surrey Police and Sussex Police for recording more than 200,000 phone calls without people’s knowledge

18 April 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to both Surrey Police and Sussex Police, following the rollout of an app that recorded phone conversations and unlawfully captured personal data.

Online recruitment firm fined £130,000 for sending 107 million spam emails targeting jobseekers

14 April 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Join The Triboo Limited £130,000 for what it called a “egregious” violation of the law.

ICO Sandbox publishes its exit report following work with ‘Good With’ – a startup aiming to give young adults fairer access to financial products and services

04 April 2023, News

Good With, a fintech and edtech start-up, entered the Sandbox as part of its work to develop mobile applications which will help educate young adults on personal finance. It plans to develop a Financial Virtual Assistant (FVA) app which will combine various personal data sources to produce a ‘financial readiness score’. Good With hopes this readiness score will help to provide the FVA’s users (18-24-year-olds), who might struggle to obtain credit via traditional methods, with fairer access to financial products and services. The app is currently still in a beta testing phase.

ICO fines TikTok £12.7 million for misusing children’s data

04 April 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a £12,700,000 fine to TikTok Information Technologies UK Limited and TikTok Inc (TikTok) for a number of breaches of data protection law, including failing to use children’s personal data lawfully.

Generative AI: eight questions that developers and users need to ask

03 April 2023, Blog

A blog by Stephen Almond, Director of Technology and Innovation.

Balancing people’s privacy rights with the need to prevent crime

30 March 2023, Blog

A blog by Stephen Bonner, Deputy Commissioner - Regulatory Supervision.

“A crucial learning experience.” - ICO calls for highest standards in HIV services after NHS Highland reprimand

30 March 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued a reprimand to NHS Highland for a “serious breach of trust” after a data breach involving those likely to be accessing HIV services.

ICO statement on the High Court ruling about the immigration exemption in the Data Protection Act 2018

29 March 2023, Statement

The High Court has ruled that the immigration exemption in the Data Protection Act 2018, as currently drafted, is still unlawful and must be made clearer.

Director’s Update – celebrating success and challenging ourselves for the future

28 March 2023, Blog

A blog post from Warren Seddon, Director of FOI and Transparency.

ICO to prioritise Freedom of Information complaints with significant public interest

28 March 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has announced a new approach to prioritise complaints made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) where there is significant public interest.

ICO takes action against Lewisham Council for failing to respond to hundreds of Freedom of Information requests

22 March 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued an enforcement notice to the London Borough of Lewisham Council for failing to respond to hundreds of overdue requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

ICO issues reprimand to the Metropolitan Police Service for inadequate handling of files related to organised crime groups

16 March 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) following several issues identified around their uploading, amending and deleting of various criminal intelligence files relating to Organised Crime Groups (OCG).

ICO reaches agreement with Easylife Ltd

16 March 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has reached an agreement with Easylife Ltd (Easylife) to reduce the monetary penalty notice (MPN), issued for breaching the Data Protection Act 2018, to £250,000.

ICO statement on Government response to Sir Patrick Vallance’s Pro-Innovation Regulation of Technologies Review

15 March 2023, Statement

Today, Wednesday 15 March, the Government has published its response to Sir Patrick Vallance’s Pro-Innovation Regulation of Technologies Review.

ICO shares resources to help designers embed data protection by default

13 March 2023, News

The ICO has produced new guidance to help UX designers, product managers and software engineers embed data protection into their products and services from the start.

John Edwards, Information Commissioner, delivers a keynote speech at IAPP Data Protection Intensive UK.

09 March 2023, Speech

Commissioner opens conference with an overview of our past year.

Why addressing AI-driven discrimination is so important

08 March 2023, Blog

As a woman who also became an immigrant, the concepts of equity and inclusion have always been close to my heart. My career began as a journalist, working for newspapers across both Greece and the UK.

ICO statement on re-introduction of Data Protection and Digital Information Bill

08 March 2023, Statement

Today, Wednesday 8 March, the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill is due to be re-introduced to Parliament.

The Lockdown Files will help us learn from the experience of Covid

06 March 2023, Blog

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

ICO approves fourth UK GDPR certification scheme following sequence of success

03 March 2023, Statement

The Information Commissioner’s Office has approved the fourth set of UK GDPR certification scheme criteria.

ICO and Australian Communications and Media Authority sign Memorandum of Understanding

03 March 2023, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which formalises their commitment to work together on protecting people from unwanted nuisance calls and spam messaging.