ICO fines: A timeline
We take a look back at what the ICO has been up to since it gained extra fining powers, which were used today for the first time.


Three local councils were found in breach of the Data Protection Act in July after they placed children's sensitive data at risk. None were fined, however.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced a Call for Evidence to garner opinion on whether data protection laws were strong enough and if the ICO had enough power.
Indeed, a Sophos survey indicated many believed data protection laws in the UK were inadequate and needed changing.
In the same month, the ICO launched a new code of practice to advise companies and individuals about what they could do with personal data online.
August 2010
Zurich Insurance's UK branch was fined 2.275 million by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) following the loss of 46,000 customers' data. The fining power of the FSA made the ICO's 500,000 limit look a little weak.
Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust was found in breach of the Data Protection Act after leaving a CD at a bus stop. Worryingly, the CD contained scans of 112 patient records from the Intensive Care Unit of New Cross Hospital's Heart and Lung Unit. No monetary penalty was dished out.
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September 2010
The NHS was at it again in September when East & North Hertfordshire NHS Trust lost an unencrypted USB stick containing sensitive data.
Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.
He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.
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