The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) warns of a record increase in complaints related to unsolicited automated calls, which have reached their highest level in five years.

The authority found that the number of complaints nearly tripled in three months, rising from 1,374 in July to 3,684 in September 2026. The ICO believes these figures represent only a fraction of the problem, as many incidents go unreported. These calls, often used for marketing, collecting personal information, or fraudulent schemes, are under active investigation. The authority encourages the public to report these practices to strengthen its ability to take enforcement action, with the head of investigations emphasizing that every report helps identify those responsible and protect the public.

Furthermore, the ICO stated it has issued 15 monetary penalty notices totaling £2,370,000 (approximately €2,796,600) since April 2025 concerning unsolicited calls and messages. The previous year, the companies Home Improvement Marketing Ltd and Green Spark Energy were collectively fined £550,000 (approximately €649,000) for conducting illegal automated marketing calls, in violation of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).