NHS trusts lose confidential data – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2008 in data protection, hospitals, news by sally

“More than 150 incidents of data being lost at NHS trusts across Wales have put patient and staff details at risk.”

Full story

BBC News, 17th july 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Call for reform as UK data protection rules turn 10 – The Register

Posted July 17th, 2008 in data protection, news by sally

“The UK’s Data Protection Act turned ten years old on Wednesday amid calls to either update [sic] the legislation or enforce the rules it established.”

Full story

The Register, 16th July 2008

Source: www.theregister.co.uk

Raids planned for companies breaking data protection laws – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 17th, 2008 in data protection, news by sally

“The Government’s information watchdog is to be given expanded powers to raid companies suspected of breaking data protection rules.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th July 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Data discs inquiry cost revealed – BBC News

Posted July 17th, 2008 in data protection, news, police by sally

“The police inquiry into the loss of data discs containing the details of 25 million people cost £473,544, the government has revealed.”

Full story

BBC News, 16th July 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Watchdog raises red flag over plan to record all phone calls and e-mails – The Times

Posted July 15th, 2008 in data protection, internet, news, telecommunications by sally

“Britain’s information watchdog criticised today plans for a massive Government database holding details of every phone call and e-mail and the time spent on the internet by the public as a step too far.”

Full story

The Times, 15th July 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Information Commissioner calls for new powers and ban on electoral roll sale – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 14th, 2008 in data protection, electoral register, news by sally

“The Information Commissioner has repeated his call for more powers to protect personal data and has said that local authorities should not be selling the electoral roll to marketers.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 14th July 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Common Services Agency v Scottish Information Commissioner – Times Law Reports

Posted July 14th, 2008 in data protection, freedom of information, law reports, Scotland by sally

Common Services Agency v Scottish Information Commissioner

House of Lords

“Information concerning the incidence of childhood leukaemia in a particular postal area should not be disclosed unless either it could be anonymised so that it was not personal data or could be released in a form which did not contravene one of the data protection principles under the Data Protection Act 1998.”

The Times, 14th July 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.

Common Services Agency v Scottish Information Commissioner – WLR Daily

Posted July 11th, 2008 in data protection, freedom of information, law reports, Scotland by sally

Common Services Agency v Scottish Information Commissioner [2008] UKHL 47; [2008] WLR (D) 231

Information which in its basic form would constitute ‘personal data’ for the purposes of s 1(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998 could be released under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 provided it had been modified in such a way that it was rendered anonymous, so that no individual from whom it was derived was identifiable, as it would then no longer be ‘personal data’ within the meaning of s 1(1).”

WLR Daily, 10th July 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.


FBI ready to demand detailed logs of Britons’ internet and travel habits – The Observer

Posted June 30th, 2008 in data protection, internet, news, terrorism by sally

“The EU is close to finalising an agreement with the US that would allow the FBI to see the internet browsing habits and credit card histories of UK citizens.”

Full story

The Observer, 29th June 2008

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk

‘Muddle-through’ system blamed for loss of 25m benefit records – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The loss of 25m child benefit records, including bank details and sensitive personal information, was brought about by a ‘woefully inadequate system’ and was ‘entirely avoidable’, according to two reports published yesterday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lost child benefit records: Inquiry condemns ‘inadequate’ data handling – The Guardian

Posted June 25th, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The government was criticised today for the ‘woefully inadequate’ handling of sensitive data at HM Revenue and Customs that led to the loss of CDs holding the personal records of 25 million people.”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Secret files on stolen Blears PC – BBC News

Posted June 17th, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“A personal computer holding sensitive documents relating to defence and extremism has been stolen from Hazel Blears’ constituency office in Salford.”

Full story

BBC News, 17th June 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lords warn Government on passenger data isolation – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 17th, 2008 in data protection, news, transport by sally

“The Government’s hard line on the collection and use of information on travellers could isolate it within Europe and leave it with less information than other states, a parliamentary committee has warned.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 16th June 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Smith faces Commons summons to explain secret papers blunder – The Guardian

Posted June 16th, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, was last night facing a Commons summons to explain how another batch of secret documents were left on a train.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Laptop lapses which embarrassed government – The Guardian

Posted June 13th, 2008 in data protection, news by sally

“The revelation that top secret documents relating to al-Qaida and Iraq were left on a train is the latest in a string of recent embarrassments over data security lapses.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

ICO issues new guidance on transfer of employee information – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 5th, 2008 in data protection, news, transfer of undertakings by sally

“The Information Commissioner’s Office has today published new guidance to help organisations comply with the Data Protection Act when providing information about their employees under TUPE, the law that protects staff when a business is transferred.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 4th June 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Secrecy law change to help pensioners – The Independent

Posted May 30th, 2008 in data protection, elderly, energy, news by sally

“The Government is planning to reform data protection laws so pensioners in fuel poverty can be contacted directly and offered help, it was announced today.”

Full story

The Independent, 30th May 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Spying council to be investigated – BBC News

“A privacy watchdog is to investigate a council that used powers to spy on people, including a family suspected of lying about where they lived.”

Full story

BBC News, 28th May 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Privacy watchdog opposes giant telecoms database – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 27th, 2008 in data protection, internet, news, telecommunications by sally

“The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has criticised proposals to build one Government-owned database to hold a log of phone calls, email and internet use in the UK. The ICO has said that the move would be unjustified.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 27th May 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Tories face inquiry after voter data leaked – The Independent

Posted May 22nd, 2008 in data protection, elections, news by sally

“The Conservatives’ campaign in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election suffered an embarrassing last-minute setback when the party published the personal details of more than 8,000 voters.”

Full story

The Independent, 22nd May 2008

Source: www.independen.co.uk