Firm fined for breaching Data Protection Act

A firm has been fined and incurred costs totalling nearly £1,800 for offences under the Data Protection Act.

Moores Chartered Management Accountants and its director Roger Bailey were fined a total of £1,000 for failing to notify the Information Commissioner's Office that it was a data controller, despite repeated warnings. It also paid the ICO's court costs of £776.

Small organisations that process individuals' personal information could be required to notify the ICO, at a cost of £35 a year.

“Organisations must take their data protection responsibilities seriously,” said Mick Gorrill, assistant information commissioner at the ICO.

“Notifying as a data controller under the Data Protection Act is an important obligation for all organisations which process personal information. As this prosecution demonstrates, we stand ready to use our powers to prosecute the small minority of organisations that flout the Data Protection Act.”

The ICO revealed to Accountancy Age back in 2005 that it was prepared to take a tough line on the “thousands” of firms that had not registered.

A number of firms have since been fined for offences under the act.

Further reading:

Data protection disaster looms for thousands

Firm prosecuted for data protection failure

Fourth accountancy firm prosecuted by ICO