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.

Fully automated decision making AI systems (blogger post)

05 August 2019, Blog

Reuben Binns, our Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Valeria Gallo, Technology Policy Adviser, discuss some of the key safeguards organisations should implement when using solely automated AI systems to make decisions with significant impacts on data subjects.

ICO fines boiler replacement company for thousands of nuisance calls made to TPS subscribers

02 August 2019, News

Making it Easy Ltd has been fined £160,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for making spam calls to people registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).

Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust update, July 2019

31 July 2019, Statement

In July 2017, following reports concerning the use of Google DeepMind’s Streams application at the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, the ICO announced that the processing of personal data within Streams was not compliant with the Data Protection Act 1998 – the relevant data protection law at the time. Having identified several shortcomings with the data processing, the Trust signed an undertaking committing it to bringing the processing into line with data protection laws, including the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

People care more about how their personal data is used. But what aspects cause them most concern?

31 July 2019, Blog

Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham introduces our Annual Track 2019 report.

ICO selects first participants for data protection Sandbox

29 July 2019, News

The use of biometrics to speed up airport passenger journeys, innovations in crime prevention and technological advances in the health sector are among the first projects selected to take part in the ICO Sandbox.

AI Auditing Framework blog: Trade-offs

25 July 2019, Blog

Reuben Binns, our Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Valeria Gallo, Technology Policy adviser, discuss how using AI can require trade-offs between data protection principles, and what organisations can do to assess and balance them.

Estate agency fined £80,000 for failing to keep tenants’ data safe

19 July 2019, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined a London estate agency £80,000 for leaving 18,610 customers' personal data exposed for almost two years.

Former motor industry worker ordered to pay £25,500 from proceeds of data theft

17 July 2019, News

A motor industry employee who was sentenced to six months in prison in November 2018 for accessing personal data without permission, has been ordered to pay a £25,500 confiscation order in a case brought by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

ICO launches consultation on draft data sharing code of practice

16 July 2019, Statement

As required by the Data Protection Act 2018 we are working on updating our Data sharing code of practice, which was originally published in 2011.

Speech: The future of online advertising regulation

11 July 2019, Speech

Simon McDougall, Executive Director for Technology Policy and Innovation’s speech at the Westminster Media Forum Keynote Seminar: The future of online advertising regulation.

ICO publishes annual report covering an ‘unprecedented’ year

09 July 2019, News

The public has woken up to the potential of their personal data, the Information Commissioner has said as the ICO’s annual report for 2018-19 was published today.

Intention to fine Marriott International, Inc more than £99 million under GDPR for data breach

09 July 2019, News

Statement in response to Marriott International, Inc’s filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) intends to fine it for breaches of data protection law.

Statement: Intention to fine Marriott International, Inc more than £99 million under GDPR for data breach

09 July 2019, Statement

Statement in response to Marriott International, Inc’s filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) intends to fine it for breaches of data protection law.

Blog: Live facial recognition technology - data protection law applies

09 July 2019, Blog

Any organisation using software that can recognise a face amongst a crowd then scan large databases of people to check for a match in a matter of seconds, is processing personal data.

Intention to fine British Airways £183.39m under GDPR for data breach

08 July 2019, Statement

Statement in response to an announcement to the London Stock Exchange that the ICO intends to fine British Airways for breaches of data protection law

Intention to fine British Airways £183.39m under GDPR for data breach

08 July 2019, News

Statement in response to an announcement to the London Stock Exchange that the ICO intends to fine British Airways for breaches of data protection law. Following an extensive investigation…

Blog: Developing the ICO AI Auditing Framework: an update

04 July 2019, Blog

Simon McDougall, Executive Director for Technology and Innovation reflects on the progress made in developing the ICO approach to auditing Artificial Intelligence (AI), and some of the broad themes emerging from the feedback received so far.

Blog: Cookies – what does ‘good’ look like?

03 July 2019, Blog

Since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect last May, there has been a great deal of interest in how it applies to cookies and similar technologies.

Former company director believed to have profited by more than £1.4 million after selling personal data illegally

28 June 2019, News

A former company director found guilty of illegally obtaining people’s personal data and selling it to solicitors chasing personal injury claims, has been fined for breaches of data protection and issued with a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

ICO searches Liverpool addresses as part of investigation into suspected illegal acquisition and sale of personal data

27 June 2019, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has today (27 June) searched two addresses in Liverpool, as part of an ongoing investigation into the acquisition and sale of illegally obtained personal data.

ICO’s access to information strategy calls for better compliance by public authorities backed up with enforcement action

27 June 2019, News

The ICO has today published ‘Openness by Design’ , its new access to information strategy. The strategy sets out five goals relating to the suite of access to information legislation regulated…

Human bias and discrimination in AI systems

25 June 2019, Blog

Blogger post: As part of our AI auditing framework blog series, Reuben Binns, our Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Valeria Gallo, Technology Policy adviser, look at how AI can play a part in maintaining or amplifying human biases and discrimination.

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

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

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

Statement on an agreement reached between Facebook and the ICO

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

Blog: Embedding accountability – we want to hear from you

Data Protection Impact Assessments and AI

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

Blog: Global collaboration and how it helps the UK

Privacy and Innovation - Lessons learnt from the FCA TechSprint

Enabling access, erasure, and rectification rights in AI systems

ICO raids business suspected of illegal pension cold calls

International Day for the Universal Access to Information 2019

Dirwy a hysbysiad gorfodi i Superior Style Home Improvements

Superior Style Home Improvements fined and issued with enforcement notice

Privacy attacks on AI models

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

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

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

Data minimisation and privacy-preserving techniques in AI systems

Statement: Live facial recognition technology in King's Cross

Blog: Three top issues for town and parish councils

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

Protecting children online: update on progress of ICO code

ICO joins international signatories in raising Libra data protection concerns

Fully automated decision making AI systems (blogger post)

ICO fines boiler replacement company for thousands of nuisance calls made to TPS subscribers

Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust update, July 2019

People care more about how their personal data is used. But what aspects cause them most concern?

ICO selects first participants for data protection Sandbox

AI Auditing Framework blog: Trade-offs

Estate agency fined £80,000 for failing to keep tenants’ data safe

Former motor industry worker ordered to pay £25,500 from proceeds of data theft

ICO launches consultation on draft data sharing code of practice

Speech: The future of online advertising regulation

ICO publishes annual report covering an ‘unprecedented’ year

Intention to fine Marriott International, Inc more than £99 million under GDPR for data breach

Statement: Intention to fine Marriott International, Inc more than £99 million under GDPR for data breach

Blog: Live facial recognition technology - data protection law applies

Intention to fine British Airways £183.39m under GDPR for data breach

Intention to fine British Airways £183.39m under GDPR for data breach

Blog: Developing the ICO AI Auditing Framework: an update

Blog: Cookies – what does ‘good’ look like?

Former company director believed to have profited by more than £1.4 million after selling personal data illegally

ICO searches Liverpool addresses as part of investigation into suspected illegal acquisition and sale of personal data

ICO’s access to information strategy calls for better compliance by public authorities backed up with enforcement action

Human bias and discrimination in AI systems

Blog: Supporting people accessing their data from the police

ICO fines telecoms company EE Limited for sending unlawful text messages

Statement on Eurofins Scientific