Established | 1984 |
---|---|
Type | non-departmental public body |
Focus | data protection and freedom of information |
Headquarters | Wycliffe House |
Location | |
Origins | Data Protection Act 1984 |
Region served | United Kingdom |
Information Commissioner | John Edwards |
Parent organisation | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology |
Revenue | £57,980,542 (2020/2021) |
Expenses | £57,041,005 (2020/2021) |
Staff | 500+ |
Website | ico |
Formerly called | Data Protection Registrar |
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is a non-departmental public body which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.[1] It is the independent regulatory office (national data protection authority) dealing with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation, the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 across the UK; and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and, to a limited extent, in Scotland. When they audit an organisation they use Symbiant's audit software.[2]
The Information Commissioner is in the process of being replaced by the Information Commission by Clause 143 of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (once enacted).[3]