The ICO exists to empower you through information.

Purpose and lawful basis for processing

The ICO seeks feedback from SMEs before publishing new guidance for the sector. This is to help ensure the guidance meets the needs of SMEs. The feedback group comprises SMEs from across the UK who provide feedback via phone, email or online to the ICO on a voluntary basis.

Once you indicate that you would like to join our feedback group, we’ll process your name and contact details, in order to ask for your feedback on relevant ICO guidance, tools and services.

We’ll process any responses you provide to our feedback questions, along with any additional personal data you choose to provide to us as part of this response. This information is processed by us for the purpose of informing the development of our guidance. You’ll never be asked to disclose special category data.

We may occasionally publish your responses as case studies on our website, on social media, in printed materials or in event publications for the purpose of showcasing good practice and helping others improve their data protection compliance. Responses are anonymised before publication. If we do want to publish your personal data we’ll always seek your agreement beforehand. If you don’t agree we won’t publish it and this won’t affect your membership of the group.

The lawful basis we rely on for processing your personal data is article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR, which allows us to process personal data when this is necessary for the performance of our public tasks in our capacity as a regulator.

What we need

We’ll need your name, telephone number and email address. We’ll also ask you some questions about your business so we understand what you do, the size of your organisation and where you are located.

What we do with it

We’ll use your name, phone number and email address to send you requests for feedback via phone, email or an online survey.

How long we keep it

We’ll contact you on a rolling basis and keep the personal data you provide for two years from the date of your last response.

What are your rights?

For more information on your rights, please see 'Your data protection rights'.

If you no longer want to be part of our SME feedback group please email us or call us 0303 123 1113. If you do that, we’ll update our records immediately to reflect your wishes.

Do we use any data processors?

No.