Part of our role is to improve the information rights practices of organisations by gathering and dealing with concerns raised by members of the public.
Each year we address tens of thousands of enquiries, written concerns and complaints about information rights issues.
How we deal with the concerns reported to us
Once a concern is raised with us, we record and consider it.
In some cases, we collate further information on similar issues, looking at the concern alongside others raised about the organisation. All concerns raised contribute to our understanding of an organisation’s performance against its obligations and will help us decide on any improvements we might expect them to make.
In cases where a clear and serious breach of the legislation has taken place, we will take direct action on the specific concern raised. If we decide that there has been a serious failure to comply with the law, we will provide advice and instruction to help ensure the organisation gets it right in future. If an organisation isn’t taking its responsibilities seriously, we may also take enforcement action. In the most serious cases, we can serve a monetary penalty of up to £17.5 million, or 4% of your total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher.