ICO lambasts firms for treating customers' personal data as corporate property

The UK's data watchdog has launched a campaign to encourage businesses to improve their handling of data requests, as the number of complaints it receives on the matter have spiralled.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has launched the so-called Access Aware programme to improve firms' processes of dealing with requests from the public concerning personal information.

The ICO said that nearly one in four of the complaints it received in the last financial year concerned the mishandling of so-called subject access requests.

"Organisations that handle personal information need to remember that customer records are not simply their property - the individuals who do business with them also have rights," said information commissioner Christopher Graham.

"We are seeing far too many complaints that could easily have been avoided if they’d been given serious and timely consideration."

People make subject access requests when they are seeking to understand important issues such as why they have been refused credit or making decisions about their health, he added.

"The result of mishandling requests is not simply a blip on customer service satisfaction levels, it can cause individuals a great deal of upset," said Graham.

The ICO cited the healthcare and banking sectors as among the worst performers when it comes to handling information requests.

Last year, the ICO revealed it had received more than 500 complaints about the way banks had dealt with subject access requests.

Under current data rules, firms are expected to answer requests for information held on individuals within 40 days. Firms are allowed to charge a maximum of £10 for dealing with requests.