Privacy watchdog gets greater powers to curb spam and cold calls

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has been given stronger powers to bring companies breaking the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) to heel.

From 25 May, the privacy watchdog will be given powers under the PECR to levy fines of up to £500,000 on the most serious offenders of unsolicited marketing phone calls, texts or spam.

Telecoms companies and internet service providers (ISPs) will also have to inform the privacy watchdog and their customers of some instances of personal data breaches.

These amendments to PECR, which also includes new rules on tracking cookies, are being put in place so that the UK complies with new European data privacy laws.

Telecoms companies and internet service providers (ISPs) will also be required work with the ICO when investigating companies suspected of breaching the new law.

Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner said the ICO would be publishing guidance for companies on the changes soon.

"The ICO has been calling for increased powers to regulate breaches of PECR for some time. The changes to the Regulations will grant us the right to impose significant monetary penalties for the most serious breaches of the rules and give us improved powers to investigate companies that make nuisance marketing calls," he said.

These are not the only potential changes that the ICO will be dealing with. Reviews of the Data Protection and Data Retention Directives are also in the pipeline according to Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries.