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ICO Reiterates Limits On Posting Suspect Images As Police Deny Ordering 'Scumbags' Sign Removal

The regulator stressed data sharing must be proportionate and necessary in response to record-breaking shoplifting levels.

Security warning signs in a shop window in central London, UK, on Friday, Sep 22, 2023. In the UK, shoplifting offenses have risen by a quarter this year, according to the Office for National Statistics. Photographer: Betty Laura Zapata/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Overview

  • The Information Commissioner’s Office has reiterated that displaying photographs of suspected shoplifters in public areas may breach data protection and that any data sharing must be necessary and proportionate.
  • It advised that sharing suspect details with police or relevant store managers remains appropriate while posting images in shop windows or local areas risks unlawful intrusion.
  • rth WaWales Police confirmed it found no record of instructing a Wrexham shopkeeper to remove his “scumbags” sign and said the notice was not illegal.
  • Official figures show shoplifting in England and Wales reached a record 530,643 offences in the year to March, costing retailers an estimated £1.8 billion in losses and £700 million in extra security.
  • Political figures including Reform UK leader Richard Tice and Conservative MPs have condemned the ICO’s guidance, and ministers are advancing the Crime and Policing Bill to bolster enforcement against shoplifting.