News, blogs and speeches

Why special category personal data needs to be handled even more carefully

14 November 2019, Blog

Imagine if your medical records, information about your sex life or your political opinions were put into the public domain so anyone could see them. When personal data is shared by mistake the effects can be extremely damaging.

Information Commissioner reminds political parties they must comply with the law ahead of General Election

05 November 2019, Statement

The Information Commissioner has sent the following letter to the political parties in relation to the use of data in political campaigning

Live facial recognition technology – police forces need to slow down and justify its use

31 October 2019, Blog

As far back as Sir Robert Peel, the powers of the police have always been seen as dependent on public support of their actions. It’s an ideal starting point as we consider uses of technology like live facial recognition (LFR).

Statement on an agreement reached between Facebook and the ICO

30 October 2019, Statement

In 2017 the Information Commissioner's Office ("ICO") commenced a formal investigation into the misuse of personal data in political campaigns.

AI Auditing Framework Call for Input: final considerations and next steps

28 October 2019, Blog

As the initial Call for Input into the development of the ICO AI Auditing Framework comes to an end, Simon McDougall, Executive Director for Technology and Innovation, reflects on some of the overarching themes that have emerged in the first phase of our work.

Blog: Embedding accountability – we want to hear from you

28 October 2019, Blog

A blog by Ian Hulme, Director for Regulatory Assurance.

Data Protection Impact Assessments and AI

23 October 2019, Blog

Simon Reader, Senior Policy Officer, discusses some of the key considerations for organisations undertaking data protection impact assessments for Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems.

Blog: How coming to work at the ICO on a secondment can benefit both of us

22 October 2019, Blog

We have significantly expanded our permanent workforce over the last two years but we are also keen to increase the variety and number of people who join us on temporary secondment from other organisations.

Blog: Global collaboration and how it helps the UK

21 October 2019, Blog

A blog by Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner.

Privacy and Innovation - Lessons learnt from the FCA TechSprint

16 October 2019, Blog

I’ve found there’s often a misconception that regulation seeks to stifle innovation and that the role of regulators is to add layers of red tape.

Enabling access, erasure, and rectification rights in AI systems

15 October 2019, Blog

Reuben Binns, our Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence (AI), discusses the challenges organisations may face in implementing mechanisms in AI systems that allow data subjects to exercise their rights of access, rectification and erasure

ICO raids business suspected of illegal pension cold calls

03 October 2019, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) searched a business premises in Chichester today as part of an investigation into the making of nuisance calls related to pensions.

International Day for the Universal Access to Information 2019

28 September 2019, Statement

Today marks the annual commemoration of the 'International Day for the Universal Access to Information'. This year’s theme is 'Leaving No One Behind!' and looks at how we can ensure innovation and new technologies help broaden access to information.

Dirwy a hysbysiad gorfodi i Superior Style Home Improvements

18 September 2019, News

Mae Swyddfa’r Comisiynydd Gwybodaeth (ICO) wedi rhoi dirwy o £150,000 i gwmni ffenestri dwbl o Abertawe am wneud galwadau niwsans.

Superior Style Home Improvements fined and issued with enforcement notice

17 September 2019, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined a Swansea double-glazing company £150,000 for making nuisance calls.

Privacy attacks on AI models

12 September 2019, Blog

Reuben Binns, our Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Andrew Paterson, Principal Technology Adviser, discuss new security risks associated with AI, whereby the personal data of the people who the system was trained on might be revealed by the system itself.

SMOs must “prepare for all scenarios” to maintain data flows when UK leaves the EU

11 September 2019, News

The ICO has urged businesses to “prepare for all scenarios” as it publishes dedicated guidance to help small and medium sized organisations prepare for the possibility that the UK leaves the European Union with no deal.

Information Commissioner’s Office issues warning about historical personal details accessed through work

05 September 2019, Statement

An ICO investigation into the actions of two former Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers has concluded.

Statement on the High Court judgement on the use of live facial recognition technology by South Wales Police

04 September 2019, Statement

An ICO spokesperson said: "We will be reviewing the judgment carefully. We welcome the court’s finding that the police use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) systems involves the processing of sensitive personal data of members of the public, requiring compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018. This new and intrusive technology has the potential, if used without the right privacy safeguards, to undermine rather than enhance confidence in the police."

Data minimisation and privacy-preserving techniques in AI systems

21 August 2019, Blog

Reuben Binns, our Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Valeria Gallo, Technology Policy Adviser, discuss some of the techniques organisations can use to comply with data minimisation requirements when adopting AI systems.

Statement: Live facial recognition technology in King's Cross

15 August 2019, Statement

Statement from Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner, on the use of live facial recognition technology in King's Cross, London.

Blog: Three top issues for town and parish councils

14 August 2019, Blog

The advent of the GDPR in May 2018 brought new data protection obligations for many organisations. Some of this presented a challenge, particularly for smaller organisations like parish and town councils, who we saw were keen to demonstrate their compliance but needed support to achieve this.

ICO launches consultation on the draft framework code of practice for the use of personal data in political campaigning

09 August 2019, Statement

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is consulting on a new framework code of practice for the use of personal data in political campaigning. The framework code will serve both as…

Protecting children online: update on progress of ICO code

07 August 2019, Blog

In April, I blogged about the ICO’s work to help protect children online. I’m pleased to report that my team and I are making good progress on producing a code that will translate General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements into design standards for online services.

ICO joins international signatories in raising Libra data protection concerns

05 August 2019, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has joined data protection authorities around the world in raising common data protection concerns about the proposed Libra digital currency and infrastructure.