Industry news

IC to be given more power

The information commissioner (IC) could be empowered with more enforcement muscle to implement data protection.

A new consultation has begun to identify how Richard Thomas could be given greater controls, which could involve the power to raid business premises to ensure firms are complying with the Data Protection Act.

"We believe sharpening the information commissioner's teeth will enable him to be a stronger, more effective regulator," justice minister Michael Willis said in a statement.

At the end of last month, the Poynter report into government data security breaches suggested "cultural failures" within the administration led to the loss of 25 million child benefit records.

It had previously been claimed by chancellor Alistair Darling that one junior official was responsible for the breach.

ZDNet.co.uk reported the same month that a Home Office report - entitled A Surveillance Society - said the government should only collect data when it is necessary and not hold it any longer than it is needed.