By sector
Which UK sectors get fined, and why
The ICO tags every action with a sector. Aggregated, that tells you where enforcement pressure actually falls — and which failure mode dominates each industry.
| Sector | Actions | Total penalties | Dominant cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online technology and telecoms | 7 | £28.79m | Children's data |
| General business | 20 | £5.75m | Unlawful direct marketing |
| Marketing | 28 | £1.18m | Unlawful direct marketing |
| Utilities | 11 | £1.11m | Unlawful direct marketing |
| Criminal justice | 31 | £816,000 | Other or unclassified |
| Central government | 14 | £350,000 | Other or unclassified |
| Finance insurance and credit | 19 | £280,000 | Unlawful direct marketing |
| Retail and manufacture | 5 | £140,000 | Unlawful direct marketing |
| Charitable and voluntary | 4 | £25,500 | Misdirected communication |
| Health | 16 | £5,440 | Other or unclassified |
| Local government | 20 | — | Failure on individual rights |
| Education and childcare | 3 | — | Other or unclassified |
| Legal | 2 | — | Cyber attack |
| Transport and leisure | 2 | — | Excessive collection or retention |
| Political | 1 | — | Failure on individual rights |
| Land or property services | 1 | — | Other or unclassified |
| Media | 1 | — | Cyber attack |
| Social care | 1 | — | Unlawful direct marketing |
| Regulators | 1 | — | Unlawful direct marketing |