Quick answer
To complain about how an organisation handled your personal data, first raise it directly with that organisation and give it time to respond. If you are unhappy with the outcome, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator. Keep copies of correspondence; the ICO can investigate but generally cannot award you compensation.
Last reviewed: June 2026 · For use in England & Wales · eLitigant is a Community Interest Company (No. 16566612), not a law firm. Always check the current official form on GOV.UK before you file, and sign the statement of truth yourself.
Draft it from scratch
Give Chris your facts — the controller, the data, the breach, your attempt to resolve — and Chris drafts the ICO complaint with the specific Article references.
Check the draft you’ve written
Already written your complaint or Article 82 claim? Upload it and Chris reviews the structure, the statutory references and the remedy sought.
Received a controller’s response — reply
Run the controller’s final response (or their non-response) by Chris and get your escalation to the ICO and parallel civil claim drafted.
The ICO is the regulator. It cannot award you compensation — that is a court matter — but it can investigate, publish findings, order compliance, and fine the controller. An ICO complaint concentrates the mind of compliance teams more effectively than most other leverage.
When to complain
- SAR ignored or inadequately responded to
- Unlawful processing of your data
- Data breach not notified
- Marketing calls/texts without consent (PECR 2003)
- Refusal to delete data where erasure right applies
- Cookie/tracking without consent
- Access to data concealed or restricted unlawfully
Before complaining to ICO
- Raise concern with controller’s Data Protection Officer or privacy team
- Give them reasonable opportunity (30 days typical)
- Receive their final response or note the failure to respond
- Then escalate to ICO
Structure — the Litigant Standard
1. Who you are and who the controller is
Controller’s full legal name, registered address, DPO email.
2. The processing concerned
What data, what purpose, what timeframe.
3. The breach
“The controller’s processing breaches Article [X] UK GDPR because [specific facts].”
4. Attempts to resolve
Copies of your communication to the controller and their response (or non-response).
5. Remedy sought
“I request that the ICO [investigate / issue warning / direct compliance / impose monetary penalty where appropriate].”
Let Chris draft this for you
UK GDPR is precise. The remedy windows are fixed. Chris drafts SARs, ICO complaints, erasure requests, and Article 82 damages claims with the statutory scaffolding that makes controllers respond properly.
The parallel civil claim
ICO complaints do not provide compensation. For compensation:
- Article 82 UK GDPR — right to compensation for material and non-material damage
- County Court claim (MCOL for small amounts)
- Distress awards under Article 82 commonly £250–£5,000+ for serious breaches
- Group claims possible for mass breaches (TikTok, Equifax-type cases)
Run the ICO complaint and the civil claim in parallel.
PECR — the marketing regime
Unsolicited marketing calls, texts, emails — complaints to ICO are frequent. Fines have been significant. Evidence: call logs, screenshots, Telephone Preference Service registration date.
Can Chris draft the ICO complaint and Article 82 claim?
Yes. Upload correspondence, breach evidence, attempt-to-resolve record. Chris drafts the ICO complaint with specific Article references, and the parallel Article 82 County Court claim for compensation. £30 for ICO complaint; Express Case (£300/month) for whole matter including court stage.
Prepare to win. Plan not to fail.
Data protection rights are useful to the extent they are enforced. Chris enforces them.
Frequently asked questions
Can the ICO award me compensation?
No. The ICO is the regulator: it can investigate, publish findings, order compliance and fine the controller, but it cannot award you money. Compensation is a court matter — you pursue it through a parallel Article 82 UK GDPR claim in the County Court (using MCOL for small amounts).
What should I do before complaining to the ICO?
Raise the concern with the controller’s Data Protection Officer or privacy team first, give them a reasonable opportunity to respond (30 days is typical), and receive their final response — or note their failure to respond. Then escalate to the ICO.
When is an ICO complaint appropriate?
Common grounds include a SAR ignored or inadequately answered, unlawful processing of your data, a data breach that was not notified, marketing calls or texts without consent (PECR 2003), refusal to delete data where the erasure right applies, and cookie or tracking without consent. (When a breach must be notified to the ICO and to you — and what counts as one — is covered in our personal data breach notification guide.)
How should the complaint be structured?
The page sets out the Litigant Standard: who you are and who the controller is; the processing concerned (what data, what purpose, what timeframe); the breach stated against the specific UK GDPR Article; your attempts to resolve with the controller; and the remedy sought from the ICO.
What is an Article 82 claim and can I run it at the same time?
Article 82 UK GDPR gives a right to compensation for material and non-material damage, including distress awards. You can — and the page recommends you do — run the ICO complaint and the civil compensation claim in parallel.
Can Chris draft both the ICO complaint and the Article 82 claim?
Yes. Upload your correspondence, breach evidence and attempt-to-resolve record. Chris drafts the ICO complaint with specific Article references for £30, and the Pro option (£300) covers the whole matter, including the parallel County Court compensation stage.
Make the controller respond properly
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Related guides: Subject Access Request (SAR) · Money Claim Online (MCOL) · All civil court forms