News, blogs and speeches

Our lives, our privacy: the 40 items that shaped 40 years of privacy rights

19 November 2024, News

We are marking our 40th anniversary by launching a digital exhibition telling the story of the most important moments in privacy and information rights over the past four decades.

Using Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) to unlock value from data responsibly

15 November 2024, Blog

On Thursday 7 November, DSIT’s Responsible Technology Adoption (RTA) Unit and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) published the Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) Cost-Benefit Awareness Tool.

Joint statement from the FCA, ICO and TPR for retail investment firms and pension providers

15 November 2024, Statement

Data protection and effective communications to consumers in relation to retail investments and pensions.

NEW data protection code of conduct launched for UK private investigators

13 November 2024, News

We have approved and published the first sector-owned code of conduct - The Association of British Investigators Ltd (ABI) UK GDPR code of conduct for Investigative and Litigation Support Services.

“Privacy must still come first.” – we're calling for collaboration with developers as report reveals future innovations and data protection concerns in genomics

07 November 2024, News

New report highlights how genomics could one day determine insurance quotes, solve crimes, tailor support in schools and create fitness plans

Thinking of using AI to assist recruitment? Our key data protection considerations

06 November 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has shared key questions organisations should ask when procuring AI tools to help with their employee recruitment.

ICO intervention into AI recruitment tools leads to better data protection for job seekers

06 November 2024, News

We have today issued a series of recommendations [LINK] to AI developers and providers to ensure they are better protecting job seekers’ information rights.

Empowering young people to learn more about their local environment

05 November 2024, Blog

Did you know that no matter how old you are, you can ask public authorities about a wide range of topics that affect your day-to-day life and where you live?

Information Commissioner seeks permission to appeal DSG Retail Ltd ruling

04 November 2024, Statement

We are seeking permission to appeal the judgment of the Upper Tribunal (Tribunal) on DSG Retail Limited (DSG) to the Court of Appeal.

Statement on ICO’s work to protect children online

29 October 2024, Statement

Children see sharing their personal information online as necessary to avoid social exclusion, our new research has found.

Global privacy authorities issue follow-up joint statement on data scraping after industry engagement

28 October 2024, News

We and several global counterparts are highlighting how social media companies can better protect personal information, as concerns grow about mass scraping of personal information within social media platforms, including to support artificial intelligence systems.

Ripple effect: the devastating impact of data breaches

28 October 2024, Blog

A blog by John Edwards, Information Commissioner.

Information Commissioner: Organisations need to do more to help people affected by data breaches

28 October 2024, News

Information Commissioner John Edwards has today urged organisations across the country to recognise the real-world impact of data breaches - and the devastating effects they can have on people’s lives.

Statement in response to the introduction of the Data Use and Access Bill in the House of Lords

24 October 2024, Statement

We welcome the introduction of the Data Use and Access Bill in the House of Lords and look forward to seeing it progress through parliament to Royal Assent.

Our statement in response to Government plans for NHS digital transformation

21 October 2024, Statement

An ICO spokesperson: "We stand ready to support the Government's ambition to make the NHS fit for the future, including the move to a more digital approach. Data protection law can help…

Action taken against United Utilities over transparency failings

16 October 2024, News

We have issued a practice recommendation to United Utilities for failing to properly handle requests for important environmental information from the public.

Two companies fined a total of £150k after bombarding people with spam texts offering financial, debt services

15 October 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined two Manchester based financial and debt management companies a total of £150,000 for sending in excess of 7.5million spam text messages to people.

£120k issued in fines to two companies for predatory marketing campaigns

10 October 2024, News

We have fined two companies for making unlawful marketing calls to individuals registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).

Criminal record and suspended prison sentence handed to former RAC employees for stealing personal information

09 October 2024, News

Two former RAC employees have been handed a suspended prison sentence and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, for unlawfully copying and selling over 29,500 lines of personal information.

Changes to our services for businesses

09 October 2024, Statement

We are committed to modernising our service and investing in tools that enable us to give time-pressed businesses access to our advice and expertise 24/7.

Preparing for the quantum-enabled future

09 October 2024, Blog

Quantum technologies are advancing at pace, offering huge potential to improve our lives. For example, researchers are already using the next generation of certain quantum sensors to collect highly granular information about people’s brain patterns to improve medical research and diagnostics, while there are ongoing efforts to test real world applications for early stage quantum computers.

New data protection audit framework launched to help organisations improve compliance

07 October 2024, News

We have today launched a new audit framework designed to help organisations assess their own compliance with key requirements under data protection law. The framework empowers…

What price privacy? Poor PSNI procedures culminate in £750k fine

03 October 2024, News

We have fined Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) £750,000 for exposing the personal information of its entire workforce, leaving many fearing for their safety.

Our statement on changes to LinkedIn AI data policy

20 September 2024, Statement

"We are pleased that LinkedIn has reflected on the concerns we raised about its approach to training generative AI models with information relating to its UK users.

Our statement in response to Meta's announcement to introduce teen accounts

17 September 2024, Statement

Stephen Almond, Executive Director Regulatory Risk said: “We welcome Instagram’s new protections for its younger users following our engagement with them. Our Children's code is clear…

Guilty car salesman fined for retaining and selling data to competitors

17 September 2024, News

A man has pleaded guilty and been fined for unlawfully retaining and selling thousands of pieces of customer records from the car leasing company he worked for in Hertfordshire.

Action taken against Sky Betting and Gaming for using cookies without consent

17 September 2024, News

We have issued a reprimand to Bonne Terre Limited, trading as Sky Betting and Gaming, for unlawfully processing people’s data through advertising cookies without their consent.

ICO statement in response to Meta's announcement on user data to train AI

13 September 2024, Statement

Statement from Stephen Almond, Executive Director Regulatory Risk at the ICO.

Surrey Police show a “lack of seriousness about their obligations” as ICO issues enforcement notice over FOI failures

12 September 2024, News

Enforcement notice issued to Surrey Police over Freedom of Information backlog

ICO and NCA sign memorandum of understanding for further collaboration on cyber security

10 September 2024, News

We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Crime Agency (NCA) that sets out how both organisations will cooperate to improve the UK’s cyber resilience.

Action taken against Labour Party for failing to respond to requests for personal information on time

28 August 2024, News

We have issued a reprimand to the Labour Party for repeatedly failing to respond to people who asked it what personal information the party held on them – known as a subject access request (SAR).

New tool helps small businesses create privacy notices

20 August 2024, News

We have launched a new, quick and easy-to-use tool to help small organisations and sole traders create a bespoke privacy notice and protect people’s information rights.

ICO statement on Meta's ad-free subscription service

15 August 2024, Statement

“One of our key priorities is to ensure that people’s information rights are upheld by the online advertising industry.

Porthcawl man sentenced after “brazen” car scam worth hundreds of thousands of pounds

13 August 2024, News

A man who unlawfully accessed personal data has been sentenced after our investigation.

Provisional decision to impose £6m fine on software provider following 2022 ransomware attack that disrupted NHS and social care services

07 August 2024, Statement, Online technology and telecoms

We have provisionally decided to fine Advanced Computer Software Group Ltd (Advanced) £6.09m, following an initial finding that the provider failed to implement measures to protect the personal…

Social media and video sharing platforms put on notice over poor children’s privacy practices

02 August 2024, News

We are calling on 11 social media and video sharing platforms to improve their children’s privacy practices.

Supporting public authorities to be open and transparent

31 July 2024, Blog

Around this time last year, I wrote about our new Upstream Regulation team and our focus on supporting public authorities to be open and accountable with the public they serve.

ICO reprimands the Electoral Commission after cyber attack compromises servers

30 July 2024, News

We have issued a reprimand to the Electoral Commission after hackers gained access to servers that contained the personal information of approximately 40 million people.

ICO takes action against two organisations for "risking public trust" by failing to respond to public requests for information

29 July 2024, News

We have taken action against two trusted public services after investigations found they’d failed to meet basic information request requirements, as set out under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Essex school reprimanded after using facial recognition technology for canteen payments

23 July 2024, News

We have issued a reprimand to a school that broke the law when it introduced facial recognition technology (FRT).

ICO statement in response to Google announcing it will no longer block third party cookies in Chrome

23 July 2024, Statement

"We are disappointed that Google has changed its plans and no longer intends to deprecate third party cookies from the Chrome Browser.

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.