Lloyds questioned by watchdog over use of staff banking data in pay talks

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondentJanuary 13, 2026 at 11:00 AM

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The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is investigating Lloyds Banking Group over a potential data privacy breach. Lloyds accessed aggregated data from 30,000 staff bank accounts during union pay talks last year to demonstrate that lower-paid employees were financially better off than the general population. The ICO is inquiring whether this access, given that staff are encouraged to bank with Lloyds, violated data privacy rules. If found in breach, Lloyds could face a fine of up to 4% of its annual turnover, potentially reaching £1.36 billion. A staff union, Accord, supports the ICO investigation and reserves the right to sue if a breach is confirmed.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

UK ×250% Halifax 60% Bank of Scotland 60% Accord ×370% Information Commissioner’s Office ×585% Lloyds Banking Group ×795%

Keywords

data privacy 90% staff banking data 80% pay talks 70% information commissioner's office (ico) 70% data breach 60% union 50% financial information 50% fines 40%