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UK GDPR penalties: EWCA confirms appellant bears burden in MPN appeals; tribunals may give weight to ICO’s reasons; controller liability extends to sub-contractors (Doorstep Dispensaree v ICO)

Published on: 10 January 2025

Published by a LexisNexis Information Law expert
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Article summary

Doorstep Dispensaree Ltd v Information Commissioner [2024] EWCA Civ 1515 What are the practical implications of this case?

This ruling reinforces under the UK GDPR that controllers bear ultimate accountability for compliant personal data processing; engaging subcontractors does not shift or dilute those duties. It further shows that the mandate for penalties to be “effective, proportionate and dissuasive” in Article 83(1) requires a case-by-case balancing of the Article 83(2) factors.

In the FTT appeal, the tribunal underscored aggravating circumstances, including the particular vulnerability of the data subjects and the seriousness of DDL’s infringements of the UK GDPR. Although DDL’s financial difficulties were recognised as a mitigating consideration, they did not justify removing the fine altogether.

Five years after the penalty was imposed, the enforcement landscape has altered markedly, with a new Commissioner in post and updated ICO guidance on data protection penalties. Over the past couple of years, ICO enforcement trends indicate that fines for UK GDPR violations have not been the Commissioner’s foremost priority...

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