[M2Ys4U]

The ICO has quite a bit of power, they're just run incompetently.

I don't think there's a single person in the realm of data protection (or information rights in general, as the ICO is the regulator for Freedom of Information laws and Environmental Information Regulations as well) who thinks Denham has done a good job.

[g_p]

I wonder why they've done so badly - clearly there's likely to be some level of political pressure at play, but the ICO is independent and can and should stand up to that as just part of the job.

I've never felt any regulatory body really had the technical skills to deliver anything it was meant to do - I really wonder if there are too many public policy and junior lawyers in the ICO, and not enough deep technical experts who can rapidly investigate, fact find, and recommend prosecution or sanctions.