(Bloomberg) -- The U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office fined Brexit supporting campaign Leave.EU and a linked insurance company 120,000 pounds ($156,000) for serious breaches of electronic marketing laws as it opens a probe into how both are complying with data-protection rules.
The ICO announced an audit and issued a preliminary enforcement notice as well as three notices of intent to fine Leave.EU and Arron Banks's Eldon Insurance in November 2018 as part of its investigation into data analytics for political purposes.
- ICO investigation found that Leave.EU and Eldon Insurance were closely linked. Systems for segregating the personal data of insurance customers' from that of political subscribers' were ineffective.
- Leave.EU used Eldon Insurance customers' details unlawfully to send almost 300,000 political marketing messages. Leave.EU has been fined 15,000 pounds for this breach.
- Eldon Insurance carried out two unlawful direct marketing campaigns.
- The campaigns involved the sending of over 1 million emails to Leave.EU subscribers without sufficient consent.
- Leave.EU has been fined 45,000 pounds and Eldon Insurance has been fined 60,000 pounds for the breach.
To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Elser in London at celser@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Christopher Elser at celser@bloomberg.net, Anthony Aarons
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