DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

UK: Target practice?

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Dissent

Is Local Government being disproportionately targeted by the Information Commissioner? Jonathan Baines looks at the evidence.

On 1 July 2011 the Information Commissioner (IC), Christopher Graham, issued a strongly-worded press release, which announced the publication of five undertakings he had required NHS Trusts to sign, following serious breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). In an interview in The Independent the same day there was even more tough-talking about NHS data breaches: “There’s just too much of this stuff going on. The senior management is aware of the challenge but the breaches continue. Whether it’s a systemic problem in the NHS or an epidemic we have got to do something about it.”

In one obvious way, there is something that can be done about it. Section 55A-E of the DPA (as amended by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008) came into force in April 2010, and gave the IC the powers to impose Monetary Penalty Notices (MPNs), to a maximum of £500,000, on organisations committing serious breaches of the DPA. He will only exercise this power where the breach is of a kind “likely to cause substantial damage or substantial distress” and where it was deliberate or, effectively, reckless. Since he acquired the powers, he has issued six MPNs, to a total sum of £431,000, and the maximum being £120,000.

It is noteworthy that none of these six MPNs has been imposed on an NHS body (nor, indeed, central government  nor the police). And only two, totalling £61,000, have been imposed on private companies.

Read more on LocalGovernmentLawyer

No related posts.

Category: Commentaries and AnalysesNon-U.S.

Post navigation

← Demonstration: wiping hard drives is not sufficient to secure PHI
UK: Basildon Hospital faxed cancer details to wrong person →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • ShinyHunters and team members arrested in France (1)
  • Texas Enacts Liability Shield From Punitive Damages for Certain Small Businesses That Adopt Cybersecurity Programs
  • Dublin ETB fined €125,000 for data protection breaches
  • From $5,000 to $800,000: Days Apart, OCR Security Settlements Show Puzzling Math
  • Liberty Township in Ohio has recovered its network after a ransomware attack
  • Marquette County Medical Care Facility discloses data breach
  • Industry Letter – June 23, 2025: Impact to Financial Sector of Ongoing Global Conflicts
  • MNGI Digestive Health settles class action lawsuit stemming from BlackCat attack
  • Four REvil ransomware members released after time served on carding charges
  • Why Dumping Sensitive Data on Network Shares is a Liability

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • How Internet of Things devices affect your privacy – even when they’re not yours
  • Sky Views Personal Data as a Potential Weapon in IPTV Piracy War
  • Florida Used a Nationwide Surveillance Camera Network 250 Times To Aid in Immigration Arrests
  • Federal Court Strikes Down HIPAA Reproductive Health Care Privacy Rule
  • The Markup caught 4 more states sharing personal health data with Big Tech
  • Privacy in the Big Sky State: Montana’s Consumer Privacy Law Gets Amended
  • UK Passes Data Use and Access Regulation Bill

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.