The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is urging recruitment agencies to meet their obligations under the Data Protection Act.

Under the Act, most organisations that process individuals’ personal information electronically must register with the ICO. However, the ICO is concerned that its records indicate that approximately 50% of recruitment and employment agencies are not currently registered as data controllers.

IOC chief operating officer, Simon Entwisle, says: “Notification is an important legal requirement under the Data Protection Act. Compliance with data protection principles ensures that individuals’ personal information is secure, accurate, up-to-date and processed fairly. Failure to notify is a serious offence and the ICO will not hesitate to take action against those organisations that flout the law in this way.”

Notification costs £35 per annum and should be made directly to the ICO, based in Wilmslow.