Tag: ICO

ICO publishes updated Commissioner’s Opinion on age assurance for the Children’s code

Stuart Mitchell

The Information Commissioner’s Office has renewed its 2021 age assurance Opinion with an updated version reflecting developments over the past two years. The updated Opinion: gives guidance on what online services must do if they are likely to be accessed by children; reflects the technological developments in this area; and explains legislative developments and how organisations can meet their data protection obligations whilst also complying with the Online Safety Act 2023. Age assurance is an important part of the ICO’s world-leading Children’s code. The Opinion explains how age assurance can…

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UK Information Commissioner warns against 2024 becoming the year people lose trust in AI

Stuart Mitchell

UK Information Commissioner, John Edwards, has warned that 2024 could be the year people lose trust in AI – and call on tech developers to embed privacy into their products from the very start. Referring to research which shows people are growing ever more nervous of AI, Mr Edwards will set out the steps the ICO has taken to support businesses using the smart technology and make it clear that there are no excuses for “bad actors” who do not comply with data protection laws. Delivering the keynote address at…

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UK Information Commissioner warns UK’s top websites to make cookie changes

Stuart Mitchell

The Information Commissioner has warned some of the UK’s top websites they face enforcement action if they do not make changes to comply with data protection law. Some websites do not give users fair choices over whether or not to be tracked for personalised advertising. The ICO has previously issued clear guidance that organisations must make it as easy for users to “Reject All” advertising cookies as it is to “Accept All”. Websites can still display adverts when users reject all tracking, but must not tailor these to the person…

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ICO and European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) sign Memorandum of Understanding

Stuart Mitchell

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which reinforces their common mission to uphold individuals’ data protection and privacy rights, and cooperate internationally to achieve this goal. The MoU builds on the strong collaboration already established in other forums that both authorities mutually participate in, such as the Global Privacy Assembly and the G7 Data Protection Authorities Roundtable. The MoU sets out how the authorities will continue to share experiences and best practices; cooperate on specific projects…

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

Stuart Mitchell

The Information Commissioner, John Edwards, has issued an advisory notice to public authorities calling for an immediate end to the use of original source excel spreadsheets when responding publicly to Freedom of Information Act (FOI) requests. 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. The advisory notice includes recommendations that public organisations should: immediately stop uploading original source spreadsheets to online platforms used to respond to FOI requests; continually…

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