Guide to Data Protection (26th November 2009)The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has produced a new guide to handling personal information.
The Guide offers practical advice to those with day-to-day responsibility for data protection, taking a straight-forward look at the principles of the Data Protection Act, helping organisations safeguard personal data.
Press Release
Guide
Privacy Impact Assessment Handbook Version 2.0 (June 2009)The handbook, from the Information Commissioner's Office, is designed to be a practical and comprehensive guide, aimed at organisations who are developing projects that might have implications for people’s privacy. It will help organisations assess and identify any privacy concerns (a Privacy Impact Assessment) and address them at an early stage, rather than leaving the solutions to bolt on as an expensive afterthought.
Handbook
Review of the European Data Protection Directive (12th May 2009)This review of the strengths and weakness of the EU Data Protection Directive is published by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Among its recommendations, the report proposes that:
- the law should be clear about the outcomes it seeks;
- there should be stronger focus on the accountability of all organisations for safeguarding the information they handle;
- a more strategic approach to enforcement is needed; and
- improved arrangements are needed for the export of personal data outside the European area.
Report
Summary
Data Sharing Review (11th July 2008)
The review was set up to: consider whether there should be any changes to the way the Data Protection Act 1998 operates in the UK and the options for implementing any such changes; provide recommendations on the powers and sanctions available to the regulator and courts in the legislation governing data sharing and data protection; provide recommendations on how data-sharing policy should be developed in a way that ensures proper transparency, scrutiny and accountability. The review's final report concludes that: there is a lack of transparency and accountability in the way organisations deal with personal information; there is confusion surrounding the Data Protection Act, particularly the way it interacts with other strands of law; greater use could be made of the ability to share personal data safely, particularly in the field of research and statistical analysis; and the Information Commissioner needs more effective powers, and the resources to allow him to use them properly.
Report
Annexes
Data Protection – Protecting People (A Data Protection Strategy for the Information Commissioner’s Office (1st April 2008)
The Information Commissioner's Office have issued a new strategy document setting out their broad aims, which might be summarised as focusing on risk rather than enforcement, where they have such a choice, to "moderate the most serious risks" and protect the most vulnerable. Data protection in the public sector will be an important area of work, as will the increasing use of surveillance.
Click here for the Strategy
