Every year the ICO conducts a survey called ‘Annual Track’ and it has just published the results of the latest one, taken in March 2019. You can read the full report here but the highlights are:
- The numbers with high confidence or low confidence that companies and organisations will store and use the personal data correctly, have both decreased and more than ever not really having a view.
- The most trusted groups is the NHS and local GO’s, where 73% of people have a high level of trust (the Police are next with 59%).
- 54% of people felt they had some understanding of how their personal data was being used, whereas 27% felt they knew very little and 15% had good understanding.
- More than half of the people surveyed, did not agree that companies and organisations were open and transparent about how they collect and use personal information.
- 1 in 5 people have experienced (themselves or a close friend or family member) an instance of data being shared without permission or an online account being used fraudulently, in the last 12 months.
- When asked how trust and confidence could be improved, the top 2 suggestions were ‘Ban companies/organisations from sharing personal information with third parties without permission’ and ‘Make it a legal requirement for companies/organisations to tell customers that they have been affected by a data breach’
Clearly there is more work for our organisations to do, and more that the ICO can do to promote people’s rights and how they can exercise them. If this has prompted you to think about reviewing your privacy notice and data protection policies (and IT security too) then get in touch to enquire about our Data Protection Review.