About the ICO/ News and events/ News and blogs News, blogs and speeches 202 in total New UK Information Commissioner begins term 04 January 2022, News John Edwards begins his new role as UK Information Commissioner today (Tuesday 4 January). ICO and NHS Test and Trace agree data protection improvements following consensual audit 21 December 2021, News, Central government The ICO has issued NHS Test and Trace with recommendations to strengthen the protection of people’s personal data, so it can continue to play a vital role in tackling the pandemic. ICO invites comments on how it uses its powers to investigate, regulate and enforce 20 December 2021, News The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a consultation to gather the views of stakeholders and the public on how it regulates the laws it monitors and enforces. Regulatory cooperation across borders 16 December 2021, Speech A speech by non-executive director Peter Hustinx, delivered at the Cross-Border Data Protection Network event on data protection and transnational cooperation in the post-Brexit era. Cabinet Office fined £500,000 for New Year Honours data breach 02 December 2021, News The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined the Cabinet Office £500,000 for disclosing postal addresses of the 2020 New Year Honours recipients online. ICO issues its largest fine to tackle illegal pension cold calls 01 December 2021, News The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined EB Associates Group Limited £140,000 for instigating over 107,000 illegal cold calls to people about pensions. ICO issues provisional view to fine Clearview AI Inc over £17 million 29 November 2021, News The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has today announced its provisional intent to impose a potential fine of just over £17 million on Clearview AI Inc – a company that describes itself as the ‘World’s Largest Facial Network’. The certainty of change: regulation in a time of political and social challenges 26 November 2021, Speech Elizabeth Denham reflects on her time at the ICO, in a speech delivered to BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. ICO calls on Google and other companies to eliminate existing privacy risks posed by adtech industry 25 November 2021, News The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has today set out clear data protection standards that companies must meet to safeguard people’s privacy online when developing new advertising technologies (adtech). Letter to 5Rights Foundation in response to the charity’s research into systemic breaches of the Age Appropriate Design Code (Children’s code) 17 November 2021, News Letter to 5Rights Foundations in response to the charity’s research into common breaches of the Age Appropriate Design Code (Children’s code) FOI blog: Government records communicated through private accounts have always been subject to FOI laws 04 November 2021, Blog The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner conclude joint investigation into Clearview AI Inc. 03 November 2021, Statement The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) opened a joint investigation into the personal information handling practices of Clearview AI Inc in July 2020. Joint statement on global privacy expectations of Video Teleconferencing companies 27 October 2021, Statement In July 2020, six data protection and privacy authorities from Australia, Canada, Gibraltar, Hong Kong SAR, China, Switzerland and the United Kingdom jointly signed an open letter to video… ICO warning after Scottish charity reveals personal data in email error 22 October 2021, News The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is urging organisations to revisit their bulk email practices after failures by HIV Scotland led to a £10,000 fine. Providing practical data protection guidance to the media sector 13 October 2021, Blog Freedom of expression and freedom of information play a vital role in our democracy. Trust in our democratic system relies on people to ask questions of public bodies who operate on their behalf, to understand and scrutinise the decisions of local and national government. ICO response to DCMS consultation “Data: a new direction” 07 October 2021, News Foreword from Elizabeth Denham CBE, UK Information Commissioner The opportunity to reflect on and review the UK data protection legal framework and regulatory regime is a welcome one. Three… Statement on mandatory vaccination and COVID status check schemes ahead of their introduction in Scotland and Wales 29 September 2021, Statement Ahead of the introduction of mandatory vaccination and COVID status checks in Scotland and Wales, the UK Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, said: Statement in response to use of ICO corporate charge card 27 September 2021, Statement An ICO spokesperson said: "An independent internal investigation, commissioned by the ICO in February, confirmed that a single payment of £6248.40 was made on an ICO corporate charge card in December 2020 for identical £24.60 gifts for 254 members of ICO staff. International progress for domestic benefit: why the ICO convened a G7 meeting on data flows 20 September 2021, Blog A blog by Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham. We Buy Any Car, Sports Direct and Saga fined £495,000 after sending millions of ‘frustrating and intrusive’ nuisance messages. 15 September 2021, News The ICO has today announced fines totalling £495,000 to well-known companies that between them sent more than 354 million nuisance messages. Sharing personal data in an emergency – a guide for universities and colleges 14 September 2021, Blog Starting university or further education can be an exciting time, but for some it can also be a difficult and anxious transition. G7 data protection and privacy authorities’ meeting: communiqué 09 September 2021, News The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) brought together data protection and privacy authorities from G7 countries, as well as guests from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), for a discussion this week on shared emerging challenges that need closer international collaboration. Statement in response to DCMS consultation into proposed data protection reform 09 September 2021, Statement Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: “People’s personal data is used in ever more novel ways; it is right that government looks to ensure a legislative framework that is fit for… A Bretton Woods for data 09 September 2021, Speech Elizabeth Denham outlines how an international conference could help to provide 21st century thinking for the 21st century problems that data faces. The speech was delivered at the Oxford Internet Institute. ICO to call on G7 countries to tackle cookie pop-ups challenge 07 September 2021, News The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will today call on fellow G7 data protection and privacy authorities to work together to overhaul cookie consent pop-ups, so people’s privacy is more meaningfully protected and businesses can provide a better web browsing experience. Loading results More