As 2015 draws to a close, the UK's Data Protection
Regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office
('ICO'), is making sure it ends the year with a bang. The
past few months have seen a significant increase in enforcement
action, a theme which seems to be common for the regulator at this
time of year because of the rise in shopping and promotional
activities.
A key area of focus for the ICO has been to crack down on
nuisance calls and inappropriate data-sharing practices through
'Operation HIDA'.
On 22 November, the regulator wrote to more than 1,000 businesses in the UK
asking for information on their data-sharing practices. The
15-point questionnaire includes questions on how the business
complies with the law, what data is shared and how consent is
obtained. Targeted businesses have also been asked to provide a
list of all companies they have worked with in the past six months,
suggesting that more businesses will fall under the ICO's
microscope in the new year.
