July 5, 2016

Publishing his last Annual Report, Information Commissioner Christopher Graham described a year of “real achievement” as he looked back over the last 12 months.

Mr Graham, who has now stepped down after seven years, said: “We have delivered on our objectives, responding to new challenges, and preparing for big changes, particularly in the data protection and privacy field”.

During the past year, changes in the rules on nuisance marketing meant the ICO was able to issue fines totalling more than £2 million.  The ICO has also offered expert advice to many Parliamentary Committees, including the Burns Commission and its review of freedom of information law, and began preparing for new data protection reforms.

In the 2015/16 Report Mr Graham comments on the progress made: “The ICO has had to respond effectively to the unexpected.  Big data breaches such as that at Talk Talk.  Acting on newspaper allegations about charity fundraising methods that breached data protection and privacy law.  Taking part in the debate on surveillance and security and the Investigatory Powers Bill.  And, in its responses following the Schrems Judgment, with all the implications for transatlantic data flows, the ICO’s influential counsel has helped to avert a meltdown”.

Looking to the future, Mr Graham said: “Over the coming weeks we will be discussing with Government the implications of the referendum result and its impact on data protection reform in the UK.  With so many businesses and services operating across borders, international consistency around data protection laws and rights is crucial both to businesses and organisations and to consumers and citizens.  The ICO’s role has always involved working closely with regulators in other countries, and that will continue to be the case. 

“Having clear laws with safeguards in place is more important than ever given the growing digital economy, and we will be speaking to government to present our view that reform of the UK law remains necessary”.

The Annual Report reflects on the financial year 2015/16.  Key statistics include:

• 16,388 — data protection concerns received;
• 194,728 — helpline calls answered; and
• 161,190 — numbers of concerns received about nuisance calls.

To read the ICO’s press release and for a link to the Annual Report, click here.