"Their demand lands amid fierce criticism of the regulator's decision not to formally investigate the Ministry of Defence over what has been described as the most serious data breach in British history: the leaking of a spreadsheet revealing the identities and locations of more than 19,000 Afghans fleeing the Taliban. Information Commissioner John Edwards defended his stance at a DSIT-hosted hearing last month, insisting the incident was a "one-off" error rather than evidence of systemic non-compliance inside the MoD."
"That assurance has not landed well. Initial research submitted to the Commons defence committee [PDF] found that at least 49 Afghans have since been killed, a figure that advocates say underscores the stakes of robust oversight. Adding further pressure, BBC-obtained FOI responses show the MoD has suffered 49 separate data breaches in the last four years - an awkward backdrop for the regulator's claim that the spreadsheet leak was an isolated blunder."
Civil society groups are urging MPs to launch a parliamentary inquiry into the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and accuse the regulator of abandoning enforcement after it declined to investigate a Ministry of Defence data leak linked to dozens of deaths. Organizations including the Open Rights Group, European Digital Rights, academics and data protection experts say ICO enforcement activity has 'collapsed' and leaves the country without an effective watchdog amid escalating public sector failures. The MoD leak exposed identities and locations of more than 19,000 Afghans. Research found at least 49 Afghans have since been killed. FOI responses show the MoD suffered 49 data breaches in four years. The commissioner defended the decision as a 'one-off' error, while critics call for formal scrutiny and stronger enforcement.
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