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Data Protection and ICO: What you need to know
Data Protection and ICO: What you need to know
If you're running a business in the UK, it's important to be aware of the ICO – the Information Commissioner's Office. The ICO is responsible for data protection and ensuring that businesses comply with data protection laws. In this blog post, we'll take a look at what the ICO do, why you need to comply with data protection laws, and how the ICO can help your business.
What the ICO do
Under the data protection act, every organisation that processes personal data must be registered to do so. The ICO takes a fee which is dependent on the level of data which you are processing and your name is added to the register to confirm that you are complying with data protection laws. If the ICO discovers that you are processing data and you are not registered there will be fixed penalty fines.
The ICO covers various legislation in order to protect the public's interests. The legislation they cover is as follows:
- Data Protection Act
- Freedom of Information Act
- Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations
- General Data Protection Regulation
- INSPIRE Regulations
- eIDAS Regulation
- Re-use of Public Sector information Regulations
- NIS Regulations
- Investigatory Powers Act
You can find out more about each of these regulations on their website.
One of the main things that the ICO does is deal with complaints from the public. They collate information and research for similar issues which may have been recorded about the organisation. They will contact the company to see how they can better improve their data processing to avoid this happening in future.
In certain situations where it's clear that a serious data breach has taken place they will take action and if the business is not taking it seriously it could result in fines. The most serious case can mean a penalty of £17.5 million or 4% of the organisation's world wide turnover, whichever is higher.
The ICO does much more than just look after complaints, they work internationally to influence global data protection laws in order to protect the rights of the public.
Why do I need to pay the fee?
The reason you pay ICO an annual fee is so that research can be funded in order to improve data protection. If you don't pay the fee not only will you be fined but it will also affect the reputation of your business. For most businesses the fee is only £40-£60 so it's not worth skipping the fee! Some businesses with a high turnover and plenty of staff on their books will need to pay the higher rate of £2,900. You can check you have to pay the fee and what it will be here:
Why do I need to comply with data protection laws?
Not only is it the law to comply with data protection laws, it's vital for your reputation. You must take diligent care to ensure that the personal data you receive from people is protected and it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. This is to ensure that the information you process isn’t subject to fraud or identity theft.
Why it's good for business to be ICO registered
When you pay your fee you are added to the ICO register and given a certificate to prove it. You can then display this on your website which will send out a strong message that you are complying with data protection laws, which is obviously good for your reputation. Other businesses or members of the public will be reassured that their data will be protected and they will be more inclined to use your service or purchase your goods if you are compliant.
In summary not only is it the law to pay your ICO fee, it makes good business sense too.
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01733 602492
LJM Bookkeeping Ltd - Company number: 13698252
Registered Address: Suite 330, 4 Blenheim Court, Peppercorn Close, Peterborough, PE1 2DU
