Awareness of ICO low compared with other regulators
51% of the UK public say they have heard of the ICO, but only 20% have both heard of, and know a little about what the ICO does. Both scores are amongst the lowest of all the regulators tested, new research reveals. As a comparison, 85% are aware of the Financial Conduct Authority.
The figures, published in the ICO’s Annual Report on 18 July, suggest that the ICO still has work to do to increase awareness.
Information Commissioner, John Edwards, says in his Annual Report that his office is faced with strategic challenges in terms of where to best deploy resources.
“Reflecting on this, we had to make a conscious decision to divide our finite resources – to both explore and support the new innovations coming down the track, and to continue providing expert guidance for the organisations we regulate and taking action where necessary for the people we protect.”
The ICO’s multi-year survey on the UK public’s attitudes and experiences, Public Attitudes to Information Rights (PAIR), reveals that only 19% of the public have asked an organisation to provide copies of personal information relating to them. 70% have used the right to unsubscribe from electronic marketing, and 62% were satisfied with the response they received when they exercised their rights.
An older survey from 2021 on consumer perspectives suggests that whilst consumers are concerned about sharing their data, this does not always translate into taking action, as 76% have never switched companies or providers because of data privacy concerns.
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