ICO Fines Banks' Eldon and Leave.EU for Data Breaches

In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is to audit the data protection practices at pro-Brexit campaigning group Leave.EU and at Eldon Insurance, the company owned by Leave.EU co-founder Arron Banks, after fining both £120k for 'serious breaches' of electronic marketing laws.

Last November, the ICO said it intended to fine the two companies, which it had determined were closely linked with 'ineffective' systems for segregating the data of insurance clients from that of political subscribers. Leave.EU has now been fined £15k for sending nearly 300,000 political marketing messages to Eldon Insurance customers, and a further £45k for its involvement in sending an Eldon direct marketing campaign to political subscribers. In turn, Eldon was fined £60k for the latter breach. Leave.EU sent more than a million e-mails to subscribers, offering 10% off insurance at Eldon company GoSkippy; and then sent nearly 50,000 e-mails after the EU referendum containing the title 'Skippy Saves the Day', and again offering the 10% discount.

Commissioner Elizabeth Denham (pictured) commented: 'It is deeply concerning that sensitive personal data gathered for political purposes was later used for insurance purposes, and vice versa. It should never have happened. We have been told both organisations have made improvements and learned from these events. But the ICO will now audit the organisations to determine how they are using customers' personal information'.

Banks is currently being investigated by the National Crime Agency over his £8m donation to Leave.EU, which the Electoral Commission believes came from one of his firms which is based in the Isle of Man, and therefore not legally allowed to participate in UK elections.

Web site: www.ico.org.uk .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.