ICO under fire for taking limited action over serious data breaches

Lawyers and data protection specialists have criticised the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for only issuing reprimands to Thames Valley Police and the Ministry of Justice after serious data protection failings. They questioned whether reprimands were the best course of action and called for follow-ups to ensure remedial actions are implemented. The ICO defended the decision saying it preferred public authorities invest resources in training and resolving issues, rather than divert funds for fines.