Charity fines

An investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has revealed that two national charities, the RSPCA and the British Heart Foundation, secretly screened millions of their donors so they could target them for more money. The ICO said that this practice breached the Data Protection Act as the charities failed to handle donors' personal data in accordance with the legislation.

The charities also traced and targeted new or lapsed donors by piecing together personal information which was obtained from other sources. In addition, they traded data with other charities to create a pool of donor data which was available for sale. As the donors were not informed of these practices, they could not give their consent or object.

The investigation was one of a number by the ICO into the fundraising activities of charities sparked by media reports about pressure on donors to contribute. The Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, fined the RSPCA £25,000 and the British Heart Foundation £18,000.

The ICO can take action, including penalties of up to £500,000, against organisations and individuals that collect, use and keep personal data. Anyone who processes personal information must comply with the eight principles of the Data Protection Act which make sure personal data is:

  1. fairly and lawfully processed
  2. processed for limited purposes
  3. adequate, relevant and not excessive
  4. accurate and up to date
  5. not kept for longer than is necessary
  6. processed in line with an individual's rights
  7. secure and
  8. not transferred to other countries without adequate protection.

Home | Newsletters | May 2023Contact us | Site map | Accessibility | Help | Privacy |

© 2024 Wilson Sandford. All rights reserved.
Wilson Sandford Limited is registered in England & Wales.


Registered Office: Wilson Sandford, 85 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2BB

In accordance with the disclosure requirements of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009, our professional indemnity insurers are Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s & Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE of 30 Fenchurch Avenue, London, England, EC3M 5AD. The territorial coverage is worldwide excluding professional business carried out from an office in the United States of America or Canada and excludes any action for a claim brought in any court in the United States of America or Canada.