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Make a complaint about data protection and personal information

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We need your name, even if you're completing the form for someone else.
Your email The email address you want us to use when we contact you about this complaint.
Your address (Optional) We may share your address with the organisation to help them identify you when we're discussing your complaint. If you have any concerns about sharing your address, please leave it blank.
Is there any additional support or adjustments you need us to make when we're managing your complaint? (Optional) For example do you need us to contact you only by phone, do you need information in large print or braille?
Is this complaint about something that happened to you, your child or someone else?
How old were you when the issue you are complaining about happened? (Optional)
Their address (Optional) We may share your address with the organisation to help them identify you when we're discussing your complaint. If you have any concerns about sharing your address, please leave it blank.
How old were they when the issue you're making the complaint about happened?
Are you their parent or carer? (Optional) Do you have the legal right to make decisions or act on behalf of the child or young person you're making the complaint for?
You can provide a document or ask the person you're complaining for to call us (we'll give our contact details when your a officer picks up your complaint). If the person you're making the complaint for is 12 or over then they need to give a signed letter of consent saying you can act for them
We ask this so we can quickly advise on the next steps to try a stop any delays in your complaint being dealt with.
This is the name of the organisation you've had the problem with or, if you've had a problem with an individual - where they work.
This could be the person who has dealt with your complaint at the organisation.
Organisation's email address (Optional) This could be the email address of your main contact or an address you have sent a complaint to.
Organisation's address This helps us to make sure we are contacting the right organisation.
This could be the phone number of the main contact you have spoken to.
Were there any other organisations involved in your complaint? (Optional)
What is your complaint about?
What are the details of your complaint?

Please be aware, organisations have 30 calendar days to respond to a request for information once they have all the information they need to action your request.

You can read more about response times in our guidance (Link opens in new tab).

This helps us quickly understand what the problem is.  Your answer is limited to 2000 characters, including spaces (approx. 300 words). You'll have chance to share more about your experience in this form.
We ask this so we can understand the events that have taken place - the dates don't have to be exact. For example: On 1 September 2023 my SAR was refused, on 3 October 2023 I complained to the organisation, on 31 December 2023 the organisation still hadn't responded to my complaint.
What harm has the organisation's use of your personal information caused? (Optional) This could be harm you or someone else experienced as a result of the organisation's action. We ask this so we can understand the impact the organisation has had. You can select more than one option.
What would you like to happen as a result of your complaint? (Optional) You can select more than one option. We ask this as it can help us to try and reach the right result for you. We cannot promise what the outcome will be but where possible we will try and get the result you want.

There are times when an organisation can legally withhold some or all the personal information you have requested. However, we encourage you to continue with your complaint and we'll make sure your case officer is aware of the outcome you want.

There are times when an organisation might be able to legally use or keep your information, even if you don't want them to. However, we encourage you to continue with your complaint and we'll make sure your case officer is aware of the outcome you want.

The ICO is very unlikely to fine an organisation because of one complaint. However, we encourage you to continue with your complaint as it can help us investigate organisations in the future, where we see continuous bad practice.

The ICO cannot award compensation. However, we encourage you to complete your complaint so we can look into the actions of the organisation. You have the right to claim compensation from the organisation. (Link opens in new tab).

This can include the reference number of any complaints you've made to us before about this specific problem or any other information you think will help us understand what happened to you.

You can complete this form without uploading the complaint you made to the organisation about the issue you've experienced. However, this can delay or even stop us being able to deal with your complaint.

This will help your case officer action your complaint faster - when it's assigned to them.
For example, a refusal letter from the organisation, records that contain incorrect information. This will help the case officer get a clear understanding of what has happened. Please only upload information related to the misuse of your personal information by the organisation.
This will help our case officers manage your complaint.
Please tell us the specific information or documents you do not want the organisation you've complained about to see.