Where's my money?! UK Info Commish squeezes data controllers while brandishing £4,350 fine

The UK's privacy watchdog has slapped down 34 organisations that haven't paid fees under the country's new data protection regime. Since May, data controllers – organisations or people that define how and why personal data is processed – have been required (PDF) to pay increased charges to the Information Commissioner's Office …

[Anonymous Coward]

Save a fiver

£40 reduced to £35 if paid by direct debit.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ah the ICO, well known for their money collection skills.

[Adrian Midgley 1]

Payable by anyone working for themselves

with benefit to everyone.

A classic case for central funding from general taxation.

[Sureo]

"used to fund its actvities"

Which are what?

[Mark 85]

Re: "used to fund its actvities"

Which are what?

It's a variation of an extortion racket. Uses the fines to levy fines on others but withut the beatings and breaking of bones the mob uses.

[spold]

Pay up or else...

Remember those guys in the nice blue jackets with ICO Enforcement on the back (want one)?

Pay up or we send the boys 'round!

https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3438411.1521838891!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_620_330/image.jpg

[Vimes]

Funny how the ICO's willingness to start fining suddenly gets a lot stronger when it involves anything affecting them directly rather than another 3rd party.

[Anonymous Coward]

WTF?

"Under the UK's previous regime, controllers had to register with the ICO and pay a fee ... depending on the firm’'s size and turnover. Failure to pay was a CRIMINAL offence. New data protection legislation that came into force made non-payment a civil offence, as well as boosting the charges."

Its only a civil offence now, have we gone backwards here???... Look forward to all those spam callers / emailers registering their latest phoenix firms... Yeah, that's going to work out well...

[Spazturtle]

Re: WTF?

Because it's now a criminal offence to leak data in the first place.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: WTF?

> Its only a civil offence now, have we gone backwards here??

A criminal offence requires a 'beyond reasonable doubt' level of evidence which, presumably, is hard to acquire and is easy for the defendant to dispute. A civil offence only requires a 'balance of probabilities' level of evidence which will be simpler and easier to obtain, so successful prosecutions should increase.