PECR

MCP Online Ltd

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, November 5, 2023

Between 1 January 2022 and 28 September 2022 there were 20,939 calls made to CTPS or TPS registered numbers – breach of Reg 21 and 24 of PECR. MCP came to the ICO’s attention following a review of complaints made to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) in November 2021 as part of Operation Torc, which has been set up to investigate unsolicited pensions calls.

Key Points: 

Between 1 January 2022 and 28 September 2022 there were 20,939 calls made to CTPS or TPS registered numbers – breach of Reg 21 and 24 of PECR. MCP came to the ICO’s attention following a review of complaints made to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) in November 2021 as part of Operation Torc, which has been set up to investigate unsolicited pensions calls.

Digivo Media Limited

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, November 5, 2023

Between 24 March 2021 and 7 September 2021 there were 415,041 texts delivered without valid consent – breach of Regulation 22 of PECR. Digivo came to the ICO’s attention following a review of debt management complaints received via the SPAM reporting tool.

Key Points: 

Between 24 March 2021 and 7 September 2021 there were 415,041 texts delivered without valid consent – breach of Regulation 22 of PECR. Digivo came to the ICO’s attention following a review of debt management complaints received via the SPAM reporting tool.

Argentum Data Solutions Ltd

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, November 5, 2023

Between 1 January 2021 and 31 January 2022 there were a total of 2,330,423 SMS sent without consent. 24,309 were sent by ADS directly and it allowed its lines to be used by third parties to send the remaining 2,306,114. These messages were sent in breach of regulation 22 of PECR. ADS came to our attention following a review of complaints received by the 7726 spam reporting tool.

Key Points: 

Between 1 January 2021 and 31 January 2022 there were a total of 2,330,423 SMS sent without consent. 24,309 were sent by ADS directly and it allowed its lines to be used by third parties to send the remaining 2,306,114. These messages were sent in breach of regulation 22 of PECR. ADS came to our attention following a review of complaints received by the 7726 spam reporting tool.

Court of Appeal rules ICO acted lawfully in subject access request complaint litigation

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 16, 2023

The UK Information Commissioner has welcomed the Court of Appeal’s ruling on a long-running court battle over a subject access request complaint.

Key Points: 
  • The UK Information Commissioner has welcomed the Court of Appeal’s ruling on a long-running court battle over a subject access request complaint.
  • In a judgment published today, the court upheld an earlier High Court decision by Mr Justice Mostyn to dismiss a claim by Mr Ben Delo that the ICO had unlawfully failed to determine his complaint about a subject access request he had made to Wise Payments Limited.
  • The case raised important questions about how far the ICO has to go in investigating and reaching a decision on the merits of every complaint.
  • The ICO also welcomes the court’s decision that the ICO acted lawfully in deciding the outcome of Mr Delo’s complaint.

Information Commissioner calls on public authorities to stop using spreadsheets in FOI responses

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023

The notice follows a number of recent high profile personal data breaches, where personal information was inadvertently included in spreadsheets that were shared as part of a FOI response.

Key Points: 
  • The notice follows a number of recent high profile personal data breaches, where personal information was inadvertently included in spreadsheets that were shared as part of a FOI response.
  • “It is imperative that robust measures are in place to protect personal information.
  • - The Freedom of Information Act 2000 covers any recorded information that is held by a public authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by UK-wide public authorities based in Scotland.
  • Information held by Scottish public authorities is covered by Scotland’s own Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Former social services council employee fined for unlawfully accessing sensitive personal data

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 27, 2023

A former family intervention officer at St Helens Borough Council has been sentenced for unlawfully accessing social services records.

Key Points: 
  • A former family intervention officer at St Helens Borough Council has been sentenced for unlawfully accessing social services records.
  • An internal council audit found the defendant unlawfully looked at the records of 145 people whilst employed in the social services department.
  • “People have the absolute right to expect that their sensitive personal information will be treated with the utmost privacy and in accordance with data protection laws.
  • For some reason, this individual chose to flout those laws and spend time snooping at people’s sensitive personal information.

Share information to protect children and young people at risk, urges UK Information Commissioner

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Organisations will not get in trouble if they share information to protect children and young people at risk of serious harm, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has promised.

Key Points: 
  • Organisations will not get in trouble if they share information to protect children and young people at risk of serious harm, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has promised.
  • The need to improve data sharing practices has been highlighted in recent serious case reviews in the UK where children have died or been seriously harmed through abuse or neglect.
  • Poor information-sharing among organisations and agencies was identified as one of the factors contributing to failures to protect the children.
  • “My message to people supporting and working with children and young people is clear: if you think a child is at risk of harm, you can share information to protect them.