According to stats released by outgoing data and digital infrastructure minister Julia Lopez, the number of entities registered as personal data processors is now approaching a total of 1.2 million

The number of organisations registered with the UK’s data-protection regulator has increased almost threefold in a period of six years.

Outside of certain exemptions, all organisations that process sensitive personal info are required to register this status with regulator the Information Commissioner’s Office and pay an annual fee. For organisations with either 250 employees of fewer, or a yearly turnover of no more than £36m, a payment of up to £60 is required. For larger companies and public bodies that exceed both of those criteria, the annual charge is £2,900.

As of the end of 2016, there were a collective total of 457,846 organisations and individuals that had registered with the ICO. At this point, the new GDPR regime had been in effect for a little over six months, but was still 18 months away from being applied in practice.

This, coupled with a campaign launched by the ICO in late 2019 “to contact all registered companies in the UK reminding them of their legal responsibility to pay a data protection fee” may have contributed to a major spike in registered data processors since 2017.

Related content

• ‘Cover-ups don’t help anyone’ – how the ICO changed tack with the public sector
• ICO issues data protection warning over domestic abuse victims after DWP and local councils reprimanded
• Information commissioner: ‘I want us to be for all of society – not just those with the resources to access data protection’

As of May 2024, there are now 1,183,158 discrete organisations that have completed the watchdog’s registration process.

These figures were revealed in the answer given to a recent written parliamentary question by Julia Lopez – who was, until the pre-election dissolution of parliament – the minister for data and digital infrastructure.

“Under the Data Protection (Charges and Information) Regulations 2018, individuals and organisations that process personal data need to register and pay a data protection fee to the Information Commissioner’s Office, unless they are exempt,” she added.

Lopez was answering a question from a predecessor as digital minister – former health secretary Matt Hancock, who has left parliament after 14 years as an MP.