Advisory Notice Issued by the Information Commissioner Aimed at Preventing Personal Data Breaches Due to Freedom of Information Act Requests

The Information Commissioner, John Edwards has issued an advisory notice to public authorities regarding the inappropriate use of original source excel spreadsheets when responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. This follows a number of recent high profile personal data breaches where personal information was inadvertently included in spreadsheets that were shared as part of the FOI response. The notice calls for immediate action to ensure robust measures are taken to protect personal information and highlights the significant impact of such breaches on individuals and families affected. It urges organisations to take responsibility for protecting personal data and sets out the minimum that should be done to keep people’s data safe. The notice emphasises the importance of data protection and makes it clear that it is about people first and foremost.