We were contacted by the ICO this week, to let us know that they are now actively chasing up on previous letters to businesses in the accommodation and food sector.
This is the letter they are sending out, and the tone has changed. You now have to either Register and pay or fill in the exemption form.
Links for the ICO Website:
This is what they asked us to send to you…..
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the UK regulator for data protection and information rights. In June 2021 they will be writing to the accommodation and food sector to remind you that you may have a legal responsibility to register with the ICO and pay the data protection fee. For most companies, this is £40 or £60 per year.
If you receive a letter, you should check if you need to pay and, if you believe you are exempt, you should let the ICO know by 9 July 2021. If you are not exempt, you will need to register through their website and pay the fee. Please note, if you use CCTV for crime prevention purposes it is likely that you will need to register.
There is more information for the activities of households sector on the ICO’s website: Paying a data protection fee – accommodation and food sector: https://ico.org.uk/afd
They also have a web hub specifically designed for small and medium enterprises which has lots of tips and simple guides that you will find useful: SME web hub – advice for all small organisations | ICO: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/sme-web-hub/
Thanks to PASC UK for this information:
PASC UK commissioned our solicitors Stephens Scown to write up notes on whether you need to pay, and we have added more FAQ’s to this to. These are available on the website at: https://www.pascuk.co.uk/publications