Recognising the increasingly vital role played by professionals working in the sector, the second ICO Practitioner Award for Excellence in Data Protection was presented to Mikko Niva, Group Policy Officer at Vodafone Group Services Ltd based in London. Chosen by an independent panel, Mr Niva has been recognised for delivering a pioneering global privacy compliance programme for Vodafone across 21 different countries, and for being a constant advocate for information and privacy rights. Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham and Margot James MP, Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries, presented the award…
Tag: Data
Data Protection Practitioners’ Conference 2019
Good morning. Welcome to the DPPC, welcome to Manchester, and welcome to those joining via our livestream link. We’re proud that what is the biggest event of its type takes place right here in Manchester. As I quickly learned moving to this wonderful part of the UK, there’s a real sense of civic pride here. People are proud of the history of their region. Proud of being independent and ambitious. And proud they continue to make an impact, 200 miles north of the capital. I think those are all things…
Former NHS manager fined for sending personal data to her email account
A former GP practice manager has been fined for sending personal data to her own email account without authorisation, following an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Shamim Sadiq worked at Hollybrook Medical Centre in Littleover, Derby, but was suspended on 3 November 2017 for unrelated matters and dismissed later that month. Derby Magistrates’ Court was told that at the time of the incident, Sadiq was also employed by the Care Quality Commission as a specialist adviser for practice management and so she still had access to her NHS…
Protecting the data rights of homeless people among new projects supported by the ICO Grants Programme
Projects supporting the privacy of homeless people and issues around the use of genomic information in healthcare are among the latest recipients of funding from the ICO Grants Programme. The successful applicants for the programme’s second round of grants also include research into data protection in ‘smart’ homes and the use of public sector data by researchers. The ICO Grants Programme was launched by the Information Commissioner’s Office in 2017 and aims to support independent, innovative research into practical products and solutions which benefit the UK public by tackling significant…
London council fined by the ICO for disclosing sensitive personal data about alleged gang members
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined the London Borough of Newham £145,000 for disclosing the personal information of more than 200 people who featured on a police intelligence database. The database is known as the ‘Gangs Matrix’ and its purpose is to record information in respect of alleged gang members. An ICO investigation found that on 26 January 2017, a Newham Council employee sent an email to 44 recipients that contained both redacted and unredacted versions of the Gangs Matrix. These had previously been sent to the council by…
ICO opens Sandbox beta phase to enhance data protection and support innovation
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has opened the beta phase of its Sandbox, a new service designed to support organisations using personal data to develop products and services that are innovative and have demonstrable public benefit. The beta phase of the Sandbox, which is now open to applications, will enable participants to work through how they use personal data in their projects with the ICO’s specialist staff to help ensure they comply with data protection rules. The Sandbox will also provide some comfort from enforcement action and, where feasible, increased…
Two Birmingham workers fined for data protection breaches
Employees could face a criminal prosecution if they access or share personal data without a valid reason, the Information Commissioner’s Office has warned. The warning came after Birmingham Magistrates’ Court fined two workers in separate cases for breaching data protection laws. Faye Caughey, 32, of Ringswood Road, Solihull was employed at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) when she unlawfully accessed the personal records of 14 individuals between February 2017 and August 2017. The Court heard that as part of her job, Ms Caughey was authorised to access…
Blog: Advancing the adtech debate from a data protection perspective
Simon McDougall, Executive Director for Technology Policy and Innovation, invites adtech industry stakeholders to a fact-finding forum. Advertising is as old as commerce itself. Companies have always innovated to access new markets, and people are often happy to learn of new products and services. But in recent years, technology has completely transformed the way advertising is bought, sold and delivered. Many advertising techniques use people’s personal information, in the form of a personal profile, to decide which advert is delivered to them. Publishers then utilise real-time advertising methods to sell the…
ICO to audit data protection practices at Leave.EU and Eldon Insurance after fining both companies for unlawful marketing messages
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued fines totalling £120,000 to an EU referendum campaign and an insurance company for serious breaches of electronic marketing laws and is set to review how both are complying with data protection laws. The ICO announced an audit and issued a preliminary enforcement notice as well as three notices of intent to fine Leave.EU and Eldon Insurance trading as Go Skippy Insurance, in November 2018 as part of its investigation into data analytics for political purposes. After considering the companies’ representations, the ICO has…
ICO celebrates the success of innovative data protection projects on Data Protection Day 2019
Innovative data protection projects funded by the ICO are making a real difference to public trust and confidence in privacy issues. The projects were the first to receive money as part of the ICO’s grants programme, which facilitates innovative, independent research focused on privacy and data protection issues. It aims to increase the public’s trust and confidence in how their personal data is used. Now three of the grant recipients have spoken for the first time about how they’ve used the money. On Data Protection Day 2019 the ICO will…