Tag: Blog

Blog: Why protecting children online in UK living rooms starts 5,000 miles away

A blog by John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner 11 April 2022 “Share your data if you’re looking for a wee stalker”. That was the response by a child from Edinburgh when asked about sharing too much personal information online. Others saw content that promotes self-harm and suicidal thoughts without searching for it. Another was sent inappropriate adverts when they are playing online games. This is the backdrop to the introduction of our Children’s Code, a crucial piece of work to make sure that children can safely use online services. The…

Blog: Director’s Update – why Covid-19 has shown the FOI Act has never been more important to UK society

The past two years have highlighted how transparency and accountability are fundamental to our democracy – the impact of decisions made by public bodies throughout the pandemic have affected us all in some way. At the start of the pandemic the ICO made clear, along with our colleagues internationally, that transparency about decision making and good record keeping during this period would be essential and a vital means of maintaining public trust. This remains the case. We also set out how we would take account of the significant pressures some…

LIVE BLOG: The House Talks Stablecoins

12:09 p.m. (HB) Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) pointed out that while stablecoins represent just 5% of the digital asset industry’s total value, they account for more than 75% of crypto trading, which is why they can’t be ignored. He also criticized the President’s Working Group report, noting that while it doesn’t even provide a definition of stablecoins, it didn’t hesitate to assert that their risks are broad and cross numerous jurisdictional lines. A bank-like regulatory framework, said Emmer, would be improper for stablecoins and inadvertently engulf potential future financial products…

Barstool Sports Blog Founder Dave Portnoy Spends a ‘Cool Million’ on 29 Bitcoin – Bitcoin News

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The founder of Barstool Sports blog, Dave Portnoy, announced he purchased 29 bitcoin on January 28, spending more than a million dollars. The day trader has had his ups and downs with bitcoin over the last few years, and it seems he’s now jumping back into the market. Day Trader Dave Portnoy Bought 29 Bitcoin on the Fly After His Ups and Downs With the Leading Crypto In August 2020, the stock trader and the founder of Barstool Sports blog, Dave Portnoy, told his Twitter followers that he currently owned…

Blog: Providing practical data protection guidance to the media sector

A blog by Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner Freedom of expression and freedom of information play a vital role in our democracy. Trust in our democratic system relies on people to ask questions of public bodies who operate on their behalf, to understand and scrutinise the decisions of local and national government. A free press is a crucial part of that trust. Journalists perform an essential function – whether that is by informing the public about what takes place in the halls of power or by holding elected officials and public…

Blog: Sharing personal data in an emergency – a guide for universities and colleges

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A blog by Viv Adams, Principal Policy Adviser in the ICO Parliament and Government Affairs team 14 September 2021 Starting university or further education can be an exciting time, but for some it can also be a difficult and anxious transition. We know that universities and colleges work hard to provide support to students who are struggling. That means that universities often have to handle sensitive personal information about them. And we are aware that, sometimes, universities are hesitant to share students’ personal data in an urgent or emergency situation,…

Blog: As the Children’s code comes in – what’s next?

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A blog by Stephen Bonner, ICO’s Executive Director of Regulatory Futures and Innovation 25 August 2021 The transition year is up and the Children’s code comes fully into force on 2 September. It’s a ground breaking code that creates a better internet for children by ensuring online services likely to be accessed by children, respect a child’s rights and freedoms when using their personal data. As you’d expect it’s already having an impact on these services. Facebook, Google, Instagram, TikTok and others have all made significant changes to their child…

Blog: Call for views: data protection and employment practices

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Anulka Clarke, ICO Acting Director of Regulatory Assurance introduces our call for views in this blog as we look to update our Employment Practices guidance. In recent times, working life has changed for millions of us in a way few could have predicted. Every industry sector and its workers have been impacted. Both in the public and private sector, and businesses large and small. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are impacting the ways decisions are made about workers; monitoring technologies are more varied and widespread in use; and the COVID-19…

Blog: Reflecting on the first year of the ‘Explaining decisions made with AI’ guidance

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Abigail Hackston, ICO Senior Policy Officer – Innovation looks back on the ICO’s work with organisations who use personal data and artificial intelligence (AI) to support, or to make decisions about, individuals. 30 July 2021 It is estimated that AI has the potential to help UK GDP grow by between 10 and 22 per cent by 2030. But with AI so often relying on people’s personal data to fuel innovation, those benefits are only possible where people trust their information will be used fairly. To help organisations achieve this, the…

Blog: Spotlight on the Children’s Code standards – best interests of the child, detrimental use of children’s data and data minimisation

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A blog by Michael Murray, ICO’s Head of Regulatory Strategy 28 July 2021 Providing detailed explanations of each standard is one of the ways we’re supporting organisations to conform with the ICO’s Children’s Code. Our Spotlight blogs are aimed at organisations that are already familiar with the code and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). If you’re new to the code and think you may be impacted by it, our Children’s Code video is a good place to start. Our second post focuses on the standards that compel…