ICO / ODPA registration clarification

It has come to our attention that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) - which is the UK equivalent of the ODPA - uses the Companies House Register to routinely contact UK companies to remind them that they need to register with the ICO.

The ICO and the ODPA operate separate registration regimes, which are based on where an organisation is established. UK-based organisations have a legal obligation to register with the ICO, and organisations based in the Bailiwick have a legal obligation to register with the ODPA.

Recently, the ICO has also inadvertently been contacting Bailiwick-based companies because they are listed on the ‘Register of Overseas Entities’, which has formed part of the Companies House main register since 1 August 2022. The ODPA contacted the ICO and it was confirmed that any contact with organisations based in the Bailiwick was unintended, and that Bailiwick addresses should not receive any future mailings regarding registration.

If you have received a letter from the ICO please contact them directly with any concerns.