The Information Commissioner’s Office has made the unusual step of issuing an unprompted apology over its complaint handling procedures, insisting an increase in complaints and a lack of staff to handle them is to blame for a fresh round of delays.
The regulator says the move has been sparked by its desire “to be transparent and provide reassurance that we are taking action to address response times”, rather than any official concerns.
The ICO aims to respond to data protection complaints within 30 calendar days, but it admits complex cases may take longer, with regular updates and a target date provided if the initial timeframe is missed.
According to the ICO’s Annual Report 2023-24, 84.8% of complaints during the period were responded to within 90 days, against a target of 80%; during the 2022-23 period this figure stood at 65%.
The organisation appears to have its work cut out when it comes to consumer opinion, with reviews on Trust Pilot not exactly glowing; out of 420 reviews, the ICO has received 1.3 stars out of 5.
One recent review stated: “A complete and utter waste of time. They take 4 to 6 months to actually review any case submitted. When they do, they just find in favour of the firm you are complaining against.” Another wrote: “Claim to regulate the data sector yet most of them couldn’t wipe their noses as they are too busy looking for excuses to end calls.”
Meanwhile, a third said: “I think the ICO is not fit for purpose, they simply do not care when you report an organisation for serious GDPR breaches. Seems to me like they are an organisation in place to collect fees from organisations and not have a care in the world.”
In a statement posted on its website, the regulator conceded that its current response times “are not where we want them to be, and we know how frustrating this is for people who are asking for our help”.
It added: “We are committed to getting back to meeting our target of responding to 80% of complaints within 90 days and are introducing several initiatives over the coming months that we believe will help us to achieve this.”
The ICO said it is actively recruiting 19 staff to help deal with the monthly increase in complaints, adding that from October to December 2024, it received 746 more complaints compared to the same period in 2023.
The regulator is also exploring how it can improve processes by using automated tools. For example, it is currently testing options that can simplify or speed up certain administrative tasks so that case officers can spend more time on the complaint itself.
The statement concluded: “We want to thank people for their patience while we address this issue. Our frontline staff continue to work hard to respond to all complaints and we are confident that our approach will bring about the necessary improvements. Please be assured that we continue to triage cases and prioritise those that urgently need attention.”
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