30/05/2025 ICO response IC-383634-D4S1
Request:
I am interested in advice provided to the police about section 184 outside of your complaint handling work. If you could provide this. I can restrict the period to commencing 01/01/2024 until today’s date.
ICO response:
- The ICO has not provided advice specifically to police forces regarding section 184 outside of our complaint handling work. Therefore, no information is held within the scope of this part of your request.
Request:
are you able to provide information about the number of Section 184 referrals/allegations presented and, in turn, the number of prosecutions. I doubt there have been many
ICO Response:
- Since 2019, there have been 32 s184 incidents. An ‘Incident’ is when a matter is referred to the ICO’s investigation team and initial enquiries are carried out before a decision is made on whether or not to purse a full investigation. All 32 indicents have been closed, meaning that an investigation has not been pursued. The ICO has not pursued any prosecutions under s184 of the DPA 2018.
Request:
In particular, in late 2024 (likely November/December) I am keen to obtain any exchanges with Essex police about the issue of s184 – the approaches for guidance/information etc. and responses. If you could specifically state whether such information is held, whether there was any interaction with Essex police about s184, enforced SAR, and provide this
ICO Response:
- The ICO has not any exchanges with Essex police regarding the issue of s184 outside of our complaint handling work. Therefore we do not hold any information within the scope of this part of your request.
This concludes our response to your request
11/06/2025
Information Commissioner’s Office (Head Office)
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
T. 0303 123 1113 F. 01625 524510
11 June 2025
IC-391774-V0L1
Request
Following on from a previous request which was handled under case reference IC-383634-D4S1, you asked us:
- “’Since 2019, there have been 32 s184 incidents. An ‘Incident’ is when a matter is referred to the ICO’s investigation team and initial enquiries are carried out before a decision is made on whether or not to pursue a full investigation. All 32 incidents have been closed, meaning that an investigation has not been pursued.’ Please could you clarify whether any of these allegations were presented by police constabularies and if so, the date and which constabulary.”
We received your request on 2 June 2025.
We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the FOIA).
Our response
- It is our understanding that you are requesting information about how many of the 32 incidents were reported to us by police forces.
- We have reviewed our records and can confirm that none of the 32 incidents were reported to us by police forces. We therefore do not hold any information which falls within the scope of your request.
This concludes our response. I hope the information provided above is helpful.
Next steps
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Yours sincerely
Information Access Team
Strategic Planning and Transformation
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF