The ICO exists to empower you through information.

News, blogs and speeches

249 in total

Registration opens for ICO annual conference

03 May 2024, News

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will hold its annual Data Protection Practitioners' Conference (DPPC) online on Tuesday 8 October.

A joint statement by Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office on collaboration on the regulation of online services

01 May 2024, Statement

We have published a joint statement with Ofcom about collaboration on the regulation of online services where online safety and data protection intersect.

Information Commissioner: Persistent sensitive information breaches failing people living with HIV

30 April 2024, News

People living with HIV denied “basic dignity and privacy” by repeated data breaches that disclose their HIV status

Director’s update: the FOI year in review

24 April 2024, Blog

It’s fair to say that it’s been a heck of a year for the FOI team.

ICO statement on Upper Tribunal ruling

24 April 2024, Statement

The Upper Tribunal has ruled on the ICO’s action to require Experian Limited to change how it handles people’s personal data, dismissing the ICO’s appeal of the First-tier Tribunal’s ruling of 20 February 2023.

ICO yn dirwyo dau gwmni cyfanswm o £340,000 am wneud galwadau marchnata ymosodol a digroeso

24 April 2024, News

Bron 1.43 miliwn o alwadau wedi’u gwneud dros gyfnod o 13 mis

ICO fines two companies a total of £340,000 for making aggressive and unwanted marketing calls

24 April 2024, News

Almost 1.43 million calls made over a 13-month period.

Housing association reprimanded for exposing personal information on online portal

17 April 2024, News

We have issued a reprimand to Clyde Valley Housing Association in Lanarkshire after personal information was accessible to other residents on an online customer portal. 

ICO publishes guidance to improve transparency in health and social care

15 April 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is supporting health and social care organisations to ensure they are being transparent with people about how their personal information is being used.

Information Commissioner’s Office seeks views on accuracy of generative AI models

12 April 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched the latest instalment in its consultation series examining how data protection law applies to the development and use of generative AI.

ICO joins global data protection and privacy enforcement programme

04 April 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has signed onto a new international multilateral agreement with the Global Cooperation Arrangement for Privacy Enforcement (Global CAPE) to cooperate in cross-border data protection and privacy enforcement.

ICO sets out priorities to protect children's privacy online

03 April 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling on social media and video-sharing platforms to improve their data protection practices so children are safer when using their services. This comes as the regulator sets out its 2024-2025 priorities for protecting children's personal information online.

ICO statement in response to reports of data breach at The London Clinic

20 March 2024, Statement

An ICO spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.”

ICO publishes new fining guidance

18 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office has published new data protection fining guidance  setting out how it decides to issue penalties and calculate fines.

ICO reprimands Dover Harbour Board and Kent Police over information sharing

15 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued reprimands to Dover Harbour Board and Kent Police after they breached data protection law.

ICO reprimands London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime for complaint web form error

14 March 2024, News

Web form to complain about the Metropolitan Police Service accidentally revealed victims' data

ICO fines Wigan-based Pinnacle Life £80,000 for “predatory” spam call campaign

07 March 2024, News

Wigan-based company Pinnacle Life has been fined £80,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a year-long unlawful spam phone call campaign.

ICO launches “consent or pay” call for views and updates on cookie compliance work

06 March 2024, Blog

A blog by Stephen Almond, Executive Director, Regulatory Risk.

ICO warns charities about direct marketing rules as it orders Penny Appeal to stop sending spam texts

05 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has ordered a charity to stop sending unsolicited marketing texts to people without their consent, as it reminds all charities of their legal obligations.

ICO takes regulatory action against five public authorities under the FOI Act

04 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has taken action against five public authorities for continued failings to meet their obligations under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

Information Commissioner calls for senior leaders to take transparency seriously

04 March 2024, News

Today, as my office takes further regulatory action against five public organisations for their continued failings to meet their obligations under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, I am writing to remind you that transparency is essential if the people and communities we serve are to have confidence in the way that public services are delivered.

Y Comisiynydd Gwybodaeth yn galw ar uwch arweinwyr i gymryd tryloywder o ddifrif

04 March 2024, News

Heddiw, wrth i'm swyddfa gymryd camau rheoleiddio pellach yn erbyn pedwar sefydliad cyhoeddus am eu methiannau parhaus i gyflawni eu rhwymedigaethau o dan y Ddeddf Rhyddid Gwybodaeth, rwy’n ysgrifennu atoch i'ch atgoffa bod tryloywder yn hanfodol os yw'r bobl a'r cymunedau rydyn ni’n eu gwasanaethu i fod yn hyderus yn y ffordd y mae gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn cael eu darparu.

ICO reassures employers they can share staff data in a mental health emergency

01 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published new guidance to give employers more certainty about sharing their workers’ personal details in a mental health emergency.

ICO reprimands West Midlands Police for data protection failure

01 March 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to West Midlands Police (WMP) after the force repeatedly mixed up two people’s personal information.

ICO finds the Home Office’s pilot of GPS electronic monitoring of migrants breached UK data protection law

01 March 2024, News

Home Office pilot scheme failed to assess privacy intrusion of GPS monitoring.

ICO and Federal Communications Commission sign Memorandum of Understanding

29 February 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which formalises their commitment to work together to protect people from unwanted nuisance calls, spam messaging and the misuse of private and sensitive data.

ICO statement in response to Angiolini Inquiry

29 February 2024, Statement

The Angiolini Inquiry has published its first report, following its review of the murder of Sarah Everard.

John Edwards speaks at IAPP’s Data Protection Intensive UK

28 February 2024, Speech

Commissioner discusses three of the ICO’s key areas of focus in 2024.

Yr ICO yn galw ar bobl i rannu profiadau wrth gael mynediad at gofnodion gofal, gan addo gwella’r cymorth

28 February 2024, News

Mae Swyddfa'r Comisiynydd Gwybodaeth (ICO) yn galw ar bobl sydd â phrofiad o'r system ofal yn y Deyrnas Unedig i rannu'r heriau maen nhw wedi'u hwynebu wrth gael mynediad at eu cofnodion gofal gan sefydliadau.

Supporting the right of access for people with experience of the care system in Scotland

28 February 2024, Blog

Records of personal information are so important to people who have experience of the care system, as they are often key to understanding their personal history and identity.

ICO calls for people to share experiences accessing care records as it vows to improve support

28 February 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling on people with experience of the care system in the UK to share the challenges they have faced when accessing their care records from organisations.

ICO orders Serco Leisure to stop using facial recognition technology to monitor attendance of leisure centre employees

23 February 2024, News

Regulator issues enforcement notices ordering Serco Leisure and community leisure trusts to stop using FRT and fingerprint scanning to monitor workers’ attendance

Information Commissioner’s Office tells platforms to respect information rights when moderating online content

16 February 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is working to support people's information rights online by ensuring organisations understand their data protection obligations when seeking to make…

Practical tips for small beauty and wellbeing businesses this Valentine’s Day

14 February 2024, News

Show your customers you care – about their information rights – this Valentine’s Day.

ICO approves legal services certification scheme

13 February 2024, Statement, Legal

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has approved a certification scheme aimed at legal service providers who process personal data.   Certification schemes were introduced under the…

ICO responds to Home Office’s draft regulations to the immigration exemption

12 February 2024, Statement

The Information Commissioner's Office has welcomed proposed government changes to provide clearer safeguards around how people in a potentially vulnerable position within the immigration system are able to access the information held about them.

ICO urges all app developers to prioritise privacy

08 February 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office is reminding all app developers to ensure they protect users’ privacy, following the regulator’s review of period and fertility apps. 

ICO warns organisations to proactively make advertising cookies compliant after positive response to November call to action

31 January 2024, Blog

Last November we wrote to 53 of the UK’s top 100 websites, warning that they faced enforcement action if they did not make changes to advertising cookies to comply with data protection law.

New ICO campaign promotes sharing data to safeguard children

29 January 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office is partnering with education, law enforcement and social service organisations to raise awareness about responsible data sharing to protect children from harm. 

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reprimanded for “serious, harmful” data breach

25 January 2024, Statement, Health

Investigation found Trust staff not prepared for handling sensitive communications

ICO fines financial services company £50k for spam text messages

19 January 2024, News

Financial services company LADH Limited has been fined £50,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for sending tens of thousands of spam text messages, in breach of Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

ICO publishes updated Commissioner’s Opinion on age assurance for the Children’s code

18 January 2024, News

New Opinion gives clarity to organisations on how to comply with age assurance

Accelerated Access to GP Records (AAGPR) DPIA's response

17 January 2024, Statement, Health

Over recent weeks, a number of Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) have been submitted by GP Practices. The subject of the DPIAs is the implementation of the Accelerated Access to GP Records…

Two home improvement companies fined a total of £250,000 for making illegal marketing calls

16 January 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined two home improvement companies a total of £250,000 for bombarding people on the UK’s ‘do not call’ register with millions of unlawful marketing calls.

Information Commissioner’s Office launches consultation series on generative AI

15 January 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a consultation series on generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), examining how aspects of data protection law should apply to the development and use of the technology. 

ICO fines HelloFresh £140,000 for spam texts and emails

12 January 2024, News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined food delivery company HelloFresh £140,000 for a campaign of 79 million spam emails and 1 million spam texts over a seven-month period.

Are you clear on clarifying information requests?

10 January 2024, Blog

Public organisations hold a huge amount of information across a wide range of areas.

Information Commissioner’s Office MBE awards in the King’s New Year Honours List

30 December 2023, News

ICO Deputy Chief Executive, Paul Arnold and Senior Independent Director, Nicola Wood have been awarded MBEs in the King’s New Year Honours List.  Paul Arnold receives his award for services to…

ICO statement in response to parliamentarians' letter on facial recognition technology

22 December 2023, Statement

Facial recognition technology can bring benefits in helping to prevent and detect crime, but it relies on processing large amounts of sensitive personal data.

“We are not seeing the improvement both we and the public need” – ICO issues enforcement notice to GMP over transparency failures

20 December 2023, News

Enforcement notice issued to Greater Manchester Police over failure to clear Freedom of Information backlog