Over 3,000 affected by Cabinet Office data breach

Commissioner Dr Alexandra Delaney-Bhattacharya has issued it with a reprimand

The Cabinet Office has been issued with a reprimand by the Information Commissioner. 

It follows its Island-wide canvass ahead of the general election to verify and update electoral registration details, writing to every household.

Letters were simply addressed to ‘The Occupier’ and contained a form with the personal details of the last people to register to vote at the address.

Some of the information was out of date and a personal data breach occurred, affecting an estimated 3,215 individuals.

The information sent out also included dates of birth, which is not available on the public electoral register.

As the letters were being delivered, the Information Commissioner’s Office received complaints from members of the public that they had received personal details about other people.

Information Commissioner Dr Alexandra Delaney-Bhattacharya said: “Cabinet Office holds some of the Island’s most sensitive personal data. For people to have trust in government institutions – particularly for something as important as people’s right to vote, it is essential their information is respected and protected.

“I am pleased to note Cabinet Office is committed to applying the learning from this incident and is strengthening its approach to data protection compliance.”