ICO targets UKIP in use of political data investigation

Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham confirms that she has formally demanded information from the political party, and that it has appealed the notice to the Information Rights Tribunal

Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has announced that the ICO is targeting UKIP, among other organisations, in its formal investigation into the use of data analytics for political purposes.

Denham describes the investigation as being "designed to examine how personal information was analysed to target people as part of political campaigning and have been particularly focused on the EU Referendum campaign."

In today's announcement she explained that over 30 organisations including political parties and campaigns, data companies and social media platforms are being queried.

"Among those organisations is AggregateIQ, a Canadian-based company, used by a number of the campaigns," Denham wrote.

She added that some organisations have been co-operative, claiming that others had been harder to work with.

"A number of organisations have freely co-operated with us, answered our questions and engaged with the investigation. But, others are making it difficult. In some instances we have been unable to obtain the specific details of work that contributed to the Referendum campaign and I will be using every available legal tool and working with authorities overseas to seek answers on behalf of UK citizens.

"Other organisations have failed to be as comprehensive as I believe they need to be in answering our questions and have forced us to invoke our statutory powers to make formal demands for information. The ICO has issued four information notices as part of the investigation including one to UKIP, who have now appealed our notice to the Information Rights Tribunal."

Describing the investigation as a "high priority" for the ICO, Denham explained that its purpose is to ask "whether there was a legal basis to use this information. Did people have a way of exercising their privacy rights?"

The Electoral Commission is also examining funding associated with the Referendum and will work with the ICO on this case.