ICO 2024 – a year in review
As 2024 comes to a close, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is reflecting on a successful year of effecting change to protect people’s information rights and guide organisations to continually improve to meet their legal obligations.
The ICO is the UK’s independent regulator…
14 million people don’t know how to erase their data from an old device
New figures reveal that three in 10 UK adults (29%) don’t know how to wipe their personal information from an old device or tech product.
Our response to Google’s policy change on fingerprinting
Stephen Almond is the ICO’s executive director of regulatory risk.
Yesterday, Google announced to organisations that use its advertising products, that from 16 February 2025, it will no longer prohibit them from employing fingerprinting techniques. Our response is clear:…
Update on changes to our services for businesses
In October, we announced that we were piloting a new approach to providing business advice as part of our commitment to modernising our services and investing in tools that give businesses better access to support.
Transparency must be the default position for water companies
Public interest in water companies is higher than ever, with firms across the UK facing scrutiny over sewage discharges into lakes, rivers and the sea. Concerns about sewage pollution are mounting, as people have no choice but to rely on these companies. The lack of readily available information and the reticence of water companies to disclose information about their activities has significantly dented the public’s confidence.
Water companies asked to publish sewage discharge data
We are calling on all water companies to proactively publish information relating to sewage discharges each month.
Rogue companies receive fines totalling £290k for making millions of nuisance calls
We have fined two companies, based in Greater Manchester, a total of £290k and issued them both with enforcement notices after they were found to have made numerous nuisance phone calls to people – who’d opted out of receiving marketing calls – attempting to sell them life insurance and debt management solutions.
Manchester employee handed suspended prison sentence for illegally accessing personal information
A motor insurance worker who unlawfully accessed personal information has been handed a suspended prison sentence after an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
ICO takes regulatory action against four public authorities under the FOI Act
We have taken action against four public authorities for continued failings to meet their obligations under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Court of Appeal rejects appeal against UK Information Commissioner’s monetary penalty notice
We welcome the Court of Appeal (CoA) unanimous dismissal of an appeal by Doorstep Dispensaree Limited (DDL) against a monetary penalty notice (MPN) issued by the Commissioner on 17 December 2019.
In its judgement published today , the CoA rejected both grounds for appeal brought by DDL.…
