UK privacy regulator has seen ‘collapse in enforcement activity,’ rights coalition says

Over 70 advocacy groups and experts are demanding an investigation into the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) due to its failure to enforce data protection laws effectively, especially against public sector agencies. The lack of action has led to increased data breaches, notably the 2022 Afghan data leak, and reduced investigations into cybersecurity incidents like ransomware, raising concerns about regulatory passivity and accountability. #AfghanDataLeak #ICOFailures

Keypoints

The UK’s ICO is accused of a significant decline in enforcement activity, especially against public sector entities.
Over 70 groups call for a parliamentary investigation into the ICO’s structural failures and handling of breaches.
The 2022 Afghan data leak involving the MoD is a central point of controversy, with calls for investigation ignored by the ICO.
There has been a sharp decrease in ransomware incident investigations by the ICO from over 99% to a fraction of reported cases.
Criticism also targets the ICO’s leniency in fines and enforcement actions for breaches in both public and private sectors.