In a response to the aforementioned MoJ call for evidence, the ICO said it supported prison sentences for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act. The watchdog claimed such a punishment would be a good deterrent against breaking the law.
November 2010
The ICO took a lot of flak in how it dealt with the Google Street View case. Many had called for the body to implement a fine after the search giant took payload data, including passwords and emails, when its cars did the rounds.
However, the ICO simply could not fine Google as most of the data was taken before its powers to do so came in. Whilst the search firm was deemed to have committed a serious breach of UK data protection laws, it didn't have to pay out.
November had started off with some promise, however, when information commissioner Christopher Graham said a fine would be handed out imminently. He also called for more post-legislative scrutiny of privacy laws.
But there were a number of breaches which went without fines the first at the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which led to MPs' information being placed at risk.
Later in the month, it emerged Stoke-on-Trent City Council lost a USB stick containing sensitive data of children in care. Again, the ICO said it was unable to hand out a monetary penalty as the incident occurred before 6 April.
New Forest District Council was also found to have breached the Data Protection Act after placing planning applicants' personal data on its website. No fine was handed out.
Then, finally, the fines came, with plenty of security and data protection experts praising the move.
A 100,000 penalty was handed to Hertfordshire County Council, whilst employment services company A4e was hit with a 60,000 fine. The wait was over.
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RSAC Conference day two: A focus on what attackers are doingFrom quantum to AI, experts discussed how new and experimental technologies could be used by hackers to access and decrypt sensitive data
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Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition reviewReviews This thin and light ultraportable will draw you in with its vibrant screen – but it isn't as powerful as some of its competitors
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AI recruitment tools are still a privacy nightmare – here's how the ICO plans to crack down on misuseNews The ICO has issued guidance for recruiters and AI developers after finding that many are mishandling data
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“You must do better”: Information Commissioner John Edwards calls on firms to beef up support for data breach victimsNews Companies need to treat victims with swift, practical action, according to the ICO
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LinkedIn backtracks on AI training rules after user backlashNews UK-based LinkedIn users will now get the same protections as those elsewhere in Europe
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UK's data protection watchdog deepens cooperation with National Crime AgencyNews The two bodies want to improve the support given to organizations experiencing cyber attacks and ransomware recovery
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ICO slams Electoral Commission over security failuresNews The Electoral Commission has been reprimanded for poor security practices, including a failure to install security updates and weak password policies
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Disgruntled ex-employees are using ‘weaponized’ data subject access requests to pester firmsNews Some disgruntled staff are using DSARs as a means to pressure former employers into a financial settlement
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ICO reprimands Coventry school over repeated data protection failuresNews The ICO said the academy trust failed to follow previous guidance, which caused a serious data breach
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ICO dishes out fine to HelloFresh for marketing spam campaignNews HelloFresh failed to offer proper opt-outs, the ICO said, and customers weren’t warned their data would be used for months after they cancelled
