ICO warns political parties to comply with law

In a letter sent to the main parties, information commissioner Elizabeth Denham told campaigners that they must follow the principles outlined in the ICO’s recent draft framework code of practice for the use of personal data in political campaigning. 

She also set out five key requirements they must follow to ensure they comply with the law.

“People’s awareness of their data protection rights has never been greater, and their expectations that those rights are respected never higher. Compliance with these laws is vital to the trust and confidence in the democratic system.

“People expect their personal information to be used in line with law, and where that doesn’t happen in digital campaigning, there’s a danger that public trust and confidence in the broader democracy process is damaged.”

A dedicated election hub for parties and campaigns has also been created on the ICO website.

It has also updated its Be Data Aware campaign for the public, which tells them their rights around the use of their personal information for political purposes.