Local authorities report more than 1000 personal data breaches in last three years – OUT-LAW.com

“Local authorities in the UK have collectively lost personal data on at least 1035 occasions in the past three years, a privacy group has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 24th November 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Mobile phones no longer exempt from trader phone tapping rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 18th, 2011 in data protection, financial regulation, news, telecommunications by tracey

“Investment banks and financial traders in the UK must now record the mobile phone conversations of their staff following the closure of a regulatory loophole.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 17th November 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

‘Right to be forgotten’ may not be enforceable, UK Culture Minister says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 15th, 2011 in data protection, internet, news, privacy by sally

“EU member states will not be able to guarantee that individuals’ personal data has been deleted from the internet even if the ‘right to be forgotten’ is introduced under new data protection laws, the Culture Minister has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th November 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Man fined after selling unlawfully obtained personal data of online bingo players – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 15th, 2011 in data protection, fines, news, penalties by sally

“A man who made approximately £25,000 from selling unlawfully obtained personal data has been issued with a £1,700 fine and conditional discharge by a UK court.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th November 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Oliver Letwin breached data protection laws, report confirms – The Guardian

Posted November 15th, 2011 in data protection, documents, ministers' powers and duties, news by sally

“Oliver Letwin committed a series of data protection breaches by dumping correspondence from constituents in a park bin close to Downing Street, according to the information commissioner.”

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The Guardian, 15th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Is following people illegal? News of the World investigation techniques and the civil law – Legal Week

Posted November 14th, 2011 in data protection, harassment, media, news, private investigators by sally

“The BBC revealed last week that the News of the World (NoW) had engaged ex-policeman Derek Webb to carry out covert surveillance of more than 100 individuals. From 2003 through to 2011 Webb worked for the newspaper following celebrities, royals, politicians and others, sometimes for days, or weeks at a time. For example, former Home Secretary Charles Clarke MP is said to have been watched for more than 20 days.”

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Legal Week, 14th November 2011

Source: www.legalweek.com

Expert says ‘right to be forgotten’ could cause problems for publishers – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 11th, 2011 in archives, data protection, EC law, internet, media, news, public interest by tracey

“A system where newspaper stories can be ‘locked away’ but not entirely deleted from archives under new data protection law proposals could be used to ensure a balance is struck between privacy and free speech rights, a media law expert has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th November 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Appeal over legality of Digital Economy Act could be successful, judge says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 31st, 2011 in copyright, data protection, EC law, electronic commerce, internet, news by sally

“BT and TalkTalk have a ‘real prospect of success’ in arguing that the UK’s Digital Economy Act (DEA) violates EU laws on liability for communications made over the internet, a UK judge has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 31st October 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

MPs call for tougher personal data abuse laws – BBC News

Posted October 27th, 2011 in data protection, detention, fines, news, penalties, reports, select committees by sally

“Courts should have the power to punish people breaching the Data Protection Act with prison sentences, MPs on the justice select committee have said.”

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BBC News, 27th October 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Oliver Letwin cleared of security breach after dumping documents in park bin – The Guardian

Posted October 21st, 2011 in data protection, ministers' powers and duties, news, privacy, terrorism by tracey

“The Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin has been cleared of allegations that he could have committed a security breach after being photographed dumping work-related documents in bins in a park close to Downing Street.”

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The Guardian, 20th Ocober 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Oliver Letwin faces investigation after disposing of documents in park bin – The Guardian

Posted October 14th, 2011 in data protection, ministers' powers and duties, news by tracey

“The office of the Information Commissioner has confirmed it is investigating claims that the Conservative minister Oliver Letwin has been disposing of government documents in bins in a park close to Downing Street.”

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The Guardian, 14th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Freedoms Bill may infringe on individuals’ privacy rights, Parliamentary committee says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 12th, 2011 in bills, data protection, DNA, human rights, news, police, privacy by sally

“Parts of a proposed civil rights law threaten the UK’s compliance with human rights obligations and infringe on individuals’ rights, Parliament’s Human Rights Joint Committee has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 11th October 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

ICO issues guidance on complaint files disclosure – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 11th, 2011 in complaints, data protection, disclosure, freedom of information, news by sally

“Organisations do not have to issue all the information stored in complaint files in order to comply with individuals’ personal data access requests, the UK’s data protection watchdog has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th October 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Big Brother or crime fighting? DNA evidence under the microscope – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 10th, 2011 in data protection, DNA, evidence, human rights, news, police by sally

“A proposal to retain DNA samples taken from people who have been arrested but not charged with a crime for up to five years has come under criticism from the Joint Committee on Human Rights.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 10th October 2011

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Right to private life ‘at risk’ in plan to store DNA of innocent people – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 7th, 2011 in data protection, DNA, human rights, news, police by sally

“The Home Secretary’s plan to retain the DNA of people charged but then cleared of offences may breach human rights law, a group of MPs and peers have said.”

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Daily Telegraph, 7th October 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Privacy watchdog publishes e-privacy laws compliance guidance – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 16th, 2011 in data protection, EC law, electronic commerce, internet, news by tracey

“The UK’s data protection watchdog’s guidance includes amendments made to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) in May. The changes transposed an EU Directive into national law.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th September 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Advertising code not cookie law compliant, data protection watchdogs say – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 30th, 2011 in advertising, data protection, EC law, internet, news by sally

“Companies signed up to a self-regulatory code on online behavioural advertising may still not be compliant with EU laws on cookies, EU privacy watchdogs have said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 29th August 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Public sector websites mostly non-compliant with cookie laws, survey says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 23rd, 2011 in data protection, internet, news, privacy by sally

“Most public sector organisations do not ask internet users’ consent to cookie tracking, a survey has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 23rd August 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Hundreds of police officers caught illegally accessing criminal records computer – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 22nd, 2011 in criminal records, data protection, disciplinary procedures, news, police by sally

“More than 200 police officers and support staff in Britain’s biggest force have been caught accessing the highly sensitive Police National Computer for their own ends.”

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Daily Telegraph, 20th August 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Data protection laws give students the right to access examiner comments, ICO says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 19th, 2011 in data protection, education, examinations, freedom of information, news by sally

“Students have the right to access information detailing what assessors thought of their exam answers under UK data protection laws, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 19th August 2011

Source: www.out-law.com