Do you have CCTV? Have you paid the ICO fee?

When the GDPR came into effect on 25 May 2018, its enforcement came under the remit of the Information Commissioner's Office, an independent body set up to uphold information rights in the public interest. They cover a wide range of legislation including the Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act and General Data Protection Regulation.

Data protection fee

Every organisation or sole trader who processes personal information needs to pay a data protection fee to the ICO, unless they are exempt. Fees start from £35 per annum and you can find out how much your business needs to pay using the ICO's fee assessment tool.

CCTV for security purposes

Data protection law covers the use of CCTV. The ICO states "In general, CCTV is directed at viewing and/or recording the activities of individuals. Therefore, most uses of CCTV by organisations or businesses will be covered by the DPA. The ICO has also issued a code of practice that provides recommendations on the use of CCTV systems to help organisations comply with the DPA."

So even if your business does not record individuals' data, if you use CCTV, you will need to register with the ICO.