Privacy watchdog warns companies on self-serving privacy policies – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 13th, 2009 in data protection, news, privacy by sally

“Privacy policies are full of jargon and are designed to reduce organisations’ liability rather than to help people understand what their personal data might be used for, the UK’s privacy watchdog has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 12th January 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

Government failed to clamp down on data loss – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 12th, 2009 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“Government departments have failed to tighten data handling rules despite losing 30 million personal files in two years, it has been disclosed.”

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Daily Telegraph, 12th January 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

S and Marper v United Kingdom (Application Nos 30562/04 and 30566/04) – Times Law Reports

Posted December 8th, 2008 in data protection, DNA, human rights, law reports by sally

S and Marper v United Kingdom (Application Nos 30562/04 and 30566/04)

European Court of Human Rights

“The blanket and indiscriminate nature of the powers of retention of fingerprints, cellular samples and DNA profiles of persons suspected but not convicted of offences failed to strike a fair balance between the competing public and private interests.”

The Times, 8th December 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Ministers fight to keep late abortions secret – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 8th, 2008 in abortion, data protection, news, statistics by sally

“Late abortions of ‘less than perfect’ foetuses are the subject of a secrecy row with the Government.”

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Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Police are ordered to destroy all DNA samples taken from innocent people – The Times

Posted December 5th, 2008 in data protection, DNA, human rights, news, police by sally

“More than 1.6 million DNA and fingerprint samples of innocent people on police databases must be destroyed after a court ruled yesterday that keeping them breaches human rights.”

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The Times, 5th December 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

DNA database innocents win landmark European court ruling – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 4th, 2008 in data protection, DNA, EC law, human rights, news by sally

“Two men from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, who were previously cleared of criminal charges, have won a major victory after the European Court of Human Rights ruled keeping their DNA on the British police database breached their human rights.”

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Daily Telegrap, 4th December 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

One million could be removed from DNA database if Government loses test case – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 4th, 2008 in data protection, DNA, news, police by sally

“The police could be forced to wipe the profiles of nearly one million innocent people from the national DNA database if the Government loses a key test case today.”

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Daily Telegraph, 4th December 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Personal data on British citizens to be swapped by civil servants – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 4th, 2008 in data protection, news by sally

“Public bodies including councils, NHS Trusts, the police, the DVLA and Government department will be allowed to share information about individuals without the need to ask Parliament. They will only need to get the permission of ministers.”

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Daily Telegraph, 4th December 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Government announces new law for increased data sharing – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 25th, 2008 in data protection, news by sally

“The powers of Government to share data will be increased under new laws announced yesterday. Legislation will introduce a fast-track procedure to allow data sharing whenever ‘a robust case’ can be made for sharing, said a Ministry of Justice report.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 25th November 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

The UK does not need a data breach notification law, says Government – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 25th, 2008 in data protection, news, privacy by sally

“The Government has rejected calls for a law that would require significant data security breaches to be notified to the country’s privacy regulator. It said that notification to the Information Commissioner should be a matter of good practice, not law.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 25th November 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Straw agrees to give teeth to the UK’s data watchdog – The Times

Posted November 24th, 2008 in data protection, news by sally

“Government departments and private sector companies who leak sensitive personal information into the public domain will in future face fines, under a proposal to give ‘teeth’ to the UK’s data watchdog.”

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The Times, 24th November 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

BNP membership data breach: the workplace implications – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 20th, 2008 in data protection, news, political parties by sally

“A list of members of the British National Party (BNP) has been published online, including thousands of names, addresses and email addresses. The party claims that the security breach was likely to be a deliberate act of ‘political malevolence’.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 19th November 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Victims cannot sue party – The Times

Posted November 19th, 2008 in data protection, news, political parties by sally

“Thousands of BNP members whose details were leaked will not be able to sue either the far-right group or the disgruntled former member suspected of publishing the list, leading lawyers said last night.”

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The Times, 19th November 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Data retention laws: what they mean for ISPs – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 12th, 2008 in data protection, internet, investigatory powers, news by sally

“This guide is based on UK law. It was last updated in October 2008.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 11th November 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Hustinx: nameless data can still be personal – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 6th, 2008 in data protection, internet, news, privacy by sally

“A person does not have to be identifiable by name for details of their computer usage to be protected by data protection laws, a senior European privacy watchdog has warned.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 6th November 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

New privacy row over lost data – The Guardian

Posted November 3rd, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The government was embarrassed by another data-loss scandal last night when the private details of up to 12 million people were put at risk after a memory stick was found in a pub car park.”

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The Guardian, 2nd November 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Thirty organisations are under ICO investigation over data breaches – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 29th, 2008 in appeals, data protection, news, sentencing by sally

“The UK’s privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is currently pursuing 30 investigations into serious data security breaches, it said. In the past year 227 breaches have been reported to it.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 29th October 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Bigger databases increase risks, says watchdog – The Guardian

Posted October 29th, 2008 in data protection, news, privacy by sally

“The proliferation of ever larger centralised databases is increasing the risk of people’s personal data being lost or abused, the government’s official privacy watchdog claims today.”

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The Guardian, 29th October 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Civil servant fined for leaving documents on train – The Independent

Posted October 28th, 2008 in civil servants, data protection, news by sally

“A high-flying civil servant was today fined £2,500 after leaving top-secret documents on a train.”

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The Independent, 28th October 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Data protection officials to lobby for new child-protecting laws – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 22nd, 2008 in children, data protection, news by sally

“Data protection authorities from all over the world have agreed to call for legislation specifically limiting the collection and use of children’s personal data.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 22nd October 2008

Source: www.out-law.com