Firm prosecuted for data protection failure

An accounting firm has been successfully prosecuted for failing to notify the
Information Commissioner’s Office that they processed client information
electronically, an issue raised in Accountancy Age last year.

Acorn Accounting of Leeds was fined £300 and ordered to pay a contribution to
costs of £150 by Leeds Magistrates.

In addition, its officers Ashfaq Anjum, Yusuf Badat and Asud Iqbal also
pleaded guilty to the offences under Section 17 of the Data Protection Act and
were each fined £200 and ordered to pay contributions of £150 to prosecution
costs.

Accountancy Age revealed last year that the ICO was targeting a potential
10,000 accounting firms that had not registered with the Information
Commissioner’s Office.

‘This prosecution will remind accountancy firms of their obligations to
notify and to ensure that any personal information is held securely, is
accurate, up-to-date and is processed fairly,’ said ICO solicitor Philip Taylor.

Most organisations that hold personal data are required to notify the ICO
under the DPA because they are holding personal data. There are certain
exemptions that exist for bodies only processing personal data for staff
administration, accounts, advertising, marketing and public relations.