Copy The UK's data watchdog has defended its approach to regulating government health technologies during the pandemic as "pragmatic." In its annual report, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said it had supported public health innovation, reflecting the flexibility of data protection law. The watchdog had come under fire early in the pandemic as campaigners saw a lack of oversight over the introduction of the Test and Trace system. In June last year, the Open Rights Group (ORG) instructed lawyers to lodge a complaint with the ICO over the rollout of the system, arguing it breached the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).