Police ordered to delete old records of one-time cautions – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 2nd, 2007 in criminal records, data protection, news, police by sally

“Four English police forces have been ordered to delete criminal records because they have been kept for too long.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 1st November 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Data protection exemption expires tonight – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 24th, 2007 in data protection, news by sally

“An exemption for paper records from the Data Protection Act runs out at midnight. The transitional relief exemption only lasted until 23rd October, imposing less stringent conditions on the holding of paper records than electronic ones.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 23rd October 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Dead woman’s medical records case could undermine FOI law – The Register

Posted October 3rd, 2007 in confidentiality, data protection, medical records, news by sally

“A dead woman’s medical records should not be released because a duty of confidentiality survives her death, the Information Tribunal has ruled. The decision backs an earlier ruling by the Information Commissioner.”

Full story

The Register, 1st October 2007

Source: www.theregister.co.uk

Data retention law makes little difference to telcos, says trade body – Out-Law.com

Posted October 2nd, 2007 in data protection, news, telecommunications by sally

“UK telecoms firms must keep phone call logs for a year under legislation which comes into force today. But an industry trade association said the new rules will make ‘little practical difference’ to telecoms providers that already store such data for billing purposes.”

Full story

Out-Law.com, 1st October 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Europe’s concern over UK data protection “defects” revealed – The Guardian

Posted October 1st, 2007 in data protection, EC law, news by sally

“The European Commission is threatening legal action against the UK government for failing to properly safeguard individuals’ personal data.”

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The Guardian, 1st October 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Europe claims UK botched one third of Data Protection Directive – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 18th, 2007 in data protection, EC law, news by sally

“The UK’s Data Protection Act (DPA) does not implement European law properly, according to the European Commission which is investigating problems in the UK’s implementation of 11 of the Data Protection Directive’s articles, almost a third of the entire Directive.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 17th September 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Privacy guidance explains when DVLA can share car owner’s details – OUT-LAW.com

“The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) may pass on individuals’ personal details if there is good reason, such as the prevention or detection of crime, according to guidance published today by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 4th September 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

What is personal data? Information Commissioner updates guidance – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 31st, 2007 in data protection, news by sally

“The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) published new guidance yesterday that explains its view of what counts as personal data under the Data Protection Act (DPA). Information that is not personal data today may become personal data as technology advances, it says.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 30th August 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Baby battle woman can’t claim data protection exemption for YouTube video, warns expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 23rd, 2007 in adoption, data protection, internet, news, social services by sally

“The woman at the centre of a battle with social services over the future of her unborn baby will not be able to claim an exemption from the UK’s Data Protection Act, a legal expert has warned.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 22nd August 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Lawyer questions Tories’ plan to reform Data Protection Act – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 21st, 2007 in data protection, news by sally

“The Conservative Party has put forward proposals to reform the Data Protection Act to end what it calls ‘the huge regulatory burden’ it places on businesses. But the figures used to justify the changes have been criticised for being almost 10 years old.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 21st August 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

‘Surveillance society’ warning on data sharing – Financial Times

Posted August 7th, 2007 in data protection, news by sally

“Confidential personal data – gleaned from sources as diverse as driving licences, medical records and store loyalty cards – is now often shared without people’s knowledge, the information commission will warn on Tuesday, in its latest salvo against what it calls the ‘surveillance society’.”

Full story

Financial Times, 6th August 2007

Source: www.ft.com

Data retention law passed in UK – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 27th, 2007 in data protection, internet, news, telecommunications by sally

“UK telecoms companies will have to keep phone call logs for a year under a new law to come into force in October. The law does not apply to records of internet activity, such as web surfing, email and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone calls.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 27th July 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Criminals trawl Facebook and MySpace – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 23rd, 2007 in computer crime, data protection, identity fraud, news by sally

“Criminals looking to steal identities are trawling social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, experts warn.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd july 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Alarm at US right to highly personal data – The Observer

Posted July 23rd, 2007 in data protection, news, privacy by sally

“Highly sensitive information about the religious beliefs, political opinions and even the sex life of Britons travelling to the United States is to be made available to US authorities when the European Commission agrees to a new system of checking passengers.”

Full story

The Observer, 22nd July 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police gain data protection exemption for London surveillance – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 19th, 2007 in data protection, news, police by sally

“Police in London have been granted exemption from the Data Protection Act to track the city’s motorists. The Home Office has granted The Metropolitan Police full, real time access to surveillance footage from London’s congestion system cameras.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 19th July 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Watchdog seeks an end to “horror” of personal data security leaks – The Guardian

Posted July 11th, 2007 in data protection, news by sally

“Britain’s data watchdog sparked a row with business leaders yesterday when he called for more powers to confront companies that fail to protect personal information held on computers. He wants a new rule that would allow investigators to look at files without the permission of company directors.”

Full story

The Guardian, 11th July 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Our data retention is not data protection watchdogs’ business, says Google privacy boss – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 6th, 2007 in data protection, internet, news by michael

“The retention of search engine query data is a security matter and not one for Europe’s data protection officials, according to Google’s global privacy chief. Peter Fleischer said that its retention of user search data was ‘just not their field.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 6th July 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

‘Data laws aided our daughter’s suicide’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 28th, 2007 in data protection, news by sally

“The parents of a student who killed herself after developing anorexia at college have called for a change in the law after data protection legislation prevented tutors from telling her family she was sick.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 28th June 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Act 2007

Posted June 22nd, 2007 in data protection, legislation, media, social security by sally

Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Act 2007 published.

Full text of Act (PDF)

Source: www.opsi.gov.uk

330,000 users to have access to database on England’s children – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2007 in children, data protection, news by sally

“A giant electronic database containing sensitive information on all 11 million children in England will be open to at least 330,000 users when it launches next year, according to government guidance.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk