Sanctions for non-compliance with data protection legislation are about to get a lot tougher. Earlier this year the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced new powers expected to come into force on 6 April 2010.

Under the new rules, serious personal data security breaches could lead to fines of up to £500,000 where the breach is deliberate or negligent and likely to cause substantial damage or distress to individuals. The ICO has not been able to impose penalty fines directly before, although fines through the courts have been possible.