The complainant, a firm of solicitors acting on behalf of two clients, has requested information associated with the ICO’s decision to publish particular information in her report: ‘Investigation into the use of data analytics in political campaigns’. The ICO released some information having redacted some of it under sections 31(1)(g)(law enforcement) and 40(2)(personal data) of the FOIA. It withheld other information under 42(1)(legal professional privilege). The ICO redacted other information which it considers falls out of scope of the request. The complainant is dissatisfied with the ICO’s reliance on the section 31 and 42 exemptions. The Commissioner’s decision is as follows: The ICO is entitled to rely on section 31(1)(g) of the FOIA by virtue of subsections 31(2)(a) and 31(2)(c) to redact the information to which it has applied this exemption. The public interest favours maintaining the exemption. The ICO is entitled to rely on section 42(1) of the FOIA to withhold the information to which it has applied this exemption. Again, the public interest favours maintaining the exemption. The Commissioner does not require the ICO to take any remedial steps.
FOI 31: Complaint not upheld FOI 42: Complaint not upheld
Citations:
[2019] UKICO fs50837769
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Information
Updated: 14 August 2022; Ref: scu.650237