ICO sandbox to focus on children’s privacy and data sharing

The scheme aims to support organisations using personal data to develop new products and services. Organisations work with the regulator’s staff to ensure that their projects comply with data protection legislation.

The ICO is accepting applications from all types of organisations for the sandbox, but the projects submitted should focus on either children’s privacy or data sharing.

Heathrow Airport and further education not-for-profit JISC were among the organisations who took part in the beta version of the sandbox scheme, launched last year.

Ian Hulme, director of regulatory assurance at the ICO, said: "We are looking for viable projects from all sizes of organisations that have the potential to be transformative, and which will bring real public benefit."

The regulator said it is particularly interested in work focused on its Age Appropriate Design Code or that involves complex data sharing in the public interest. Expressions of interest for the scheme will be considered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

Hulme said: "Ultimately the regulatory sandbox aims to support innovators to improve confidence among children, young people and their parents and carers that their personal information is being properly protected when they are online.

"On data sharing, our aim is to promote and enable confident, responsible and lawful data sharing in the wider public interest. In particular, the regulatory sandbox aims to help demonstrate that data protection legislation is not a barrier to proportionate sharing of personal data."