Plea to ban employers trawling Facebook – The Times

Posted March 25th, 2008 in data protection, employment, internet, news, privacy by sally

“A powerful coalition of children’s charities is urging ministers to make it illegal for companies to trawl Facebook and other social networking websites for information on prospective recruits.”

Full story

The Times, 25th March 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Privacy watchdog investigates Phorm – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 11th, 2008 in advertising, internet, news, privacy by sally

“Privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner is investigating advertising technology company Phorm over a deal it has cut with the UK’s top internet service providers.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 11th March 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Rowling revives privacy case over photo of son – Reuters

Posted March 10th, 2008 in children, media, news, privacy by sally

“Author J.K. Rowling has revived her bid to ban the further publication of a long-lens photograph of her young son after the initial privacy claim was thrown out by a London court last year.”

Full story

Reuters, 10th March 2008

Source: www.reuters.com

Heroin photo used in BNP leaflet – BBC News

Posted March 10th, 2008 in advertising, news, political parties, privacy by sally

“Parents of a heroin addict are to take legal action against the British National Party (BNP) for using a picture of their dead daughter.”

Full story

BBC News, 10th March 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MEPs slam Commission freedom restraints in anti-terror name – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 18th, 2007 in EC law, human rights, news, privacy, terrorism by sally

“Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have criticised EU anti-terror laws for violating basic human rights. The Parliament passed a resolution condemning EU bodies and member states for passing laws which undermine rights to privacy or fair trials.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 17th December 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Organisations should run privacy impact assessments, says ICO – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 11th, 2007 in data protection, news, privacy by sally

“Organisations must consider the impact on individuals’ privacy before developing new IT systems or changing the way they handle personal information, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will urge today.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 11th December 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Miller wins biggest payout for invasion of privacy – The Independent

Posted December 10th, 2007 in news, privacy by sally

“The Sun and The News of the World were forced to pay the actress Sienna Miller damages yesterday for publishing nude photographs taken against her will during the filming of a movie.”

Full story

The Independent, 8th December 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Online investigations into job candidates could be illegal – The Guardian

Posted November 27th, 2007 in data protection, internet, news, privacy by sally

“Companies could be infringing privacy if they dig up information about job applicants from social networking websites, an internet expert has warned.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th November 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mail pays for violating Blairs’ privacy – The Guardian

Posted November 23rd, 2007 in media, news, privacy by sally

“Tony Blair and his wife Cherie have won substantial damages for infringement of privacy from Associated Newspapers, publishers of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Evening Standard.”

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd November 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Hundreds of databases with personal details at risk – report – The Guardian

Posted November 22nd, 2007 in data protection, news, privacy by sally

“The private details of UK individuals are on as many as 600 private and public databases, often without their knowledge, a study will reveal next month. The report by the thinktank Demos will say that new laws and procedures are needed to protect people’s privacy and freedom.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd November 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Privacy watchdog calls for power to carry out spot checks – The Guardian

Posted November 21st, 2007 in data protection, news, privacy by sally

“Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, described yesterday’s breach of the privacy of millions of families as ‘shocking’ and called on government to give him powers to mount unannounced spot checks on public and private bodies that hold large amounts of data.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st November 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk 

Personal data is not a bar to FOI disclosure, rules European court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 21st, 2007 in EC law, freedom of information, news, privacy by sally

“Documents containing personal data cannot be withheld under EU freedom of information laws if the disclosure of the data does not undermine the privacy of the persons named, according to a ruling by the European Court of First Instance.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 20th November 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Privacy laws should be overhauled, says European regulator – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 12th, 2007 in data protection, EC law, news, privacy by sally

“Europe’s top privacy regulator has said that European privacy laws will need to be overhauled in just five years’ time. He also said that the rules governing which countries can be sent Europeans’ data could be improved.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 9th November 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Free speech must not threaten the vulnerable – The Times

Posted November 9th, 2007 in freedom of expression, privacy, special report by sally

“There have been many cases in recent years involving celebrities and the extent of their rights to privacy. But what about privacy for vulnerable people who were never celebrities in the first place? Is their protection against press intrusion stronger or weaker than the famous? Is the situation exacerbated by the fact that the subject of prurient interest happens to be a child?”

Full story

The Times, 8th November 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Web 2.0: new internet, new etiquette . . . new law? – The Times

Posted October 24th, 2007 in copyright, internet, privacy, special report by sally

“Copyright and privacy infringement may be taking place on an unprecedented scale, but that doesn’t mean existing laws are irrelevant.”

Full story

The Times, 23rd October 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Lawyers fail to take email security precautions – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 12th, 2007 in electronic mail, law firms, news, privacy by sally

“Lawyers are using email to send sensitive information even though they think it is one of the least safe ways of communicating, according to a recent poll.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 11th October 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Bluetooth spam on the way as watchdog gives marketers green light – Out-Law.com

Posted October 8th, 2007 in advertising, internet, news, privacy by sally

“The Information Commissioner will no longer regulate the use of Bluetooth mobile technology, prompting fears of a wave of ‘bluetooth spam.’ ”

Full story

Out-Law.com, 8th October 2007

Source; www.out-law.com

Author gives up privacy fight – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 5th, 2007 in news, privacy, publishing by sally

“Author Niema Ash has agreed not to publish further editions of her book about new age singer Loreena McKennit. The book was at the centre of a controversial case which has helped to redefine the privacy laws in England.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 5th October 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Murray v Express Newspapers plc and Another – Times Law Reports

Posted October 4th, 2007 in law reports, media, privacy by sally

Celebrities enjoy no extra right to privacy

Murray v Express Newspapers plc and Another

“Where an individual was engaged in innocuous, routine activity in a public place, such as a street, that activity attracted no right or expectation of privacy and, accordingly, there was no prohibition on the taking or publishing of photographs of famous people engaged in such activity in a public place unless there were special circumstances such as harassment or distress caused to the individual.”

The Times, 4th October 2007

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.

Murray (by his litigation friends, Murray and another) v Express Newspapers plc and another – WLR Daily

Posted October 3rd, 2007 in human rights, law reports, privacy by sally

Murray (by his litigation friends, Murray and another) v Express Newspapers plc and another [2007] EWHC 1908 (Ch D)

“Routine activities conducted in a public place, such as walking down the street or visiting the shops, did not attract any reasonable expectation or guarantee of privacy so that an individual who had been photographed in a public place could not rely on the right to respect for his private and family life under art 8 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as scheduled to the Human Rights Act 1998, absent some other special circumstance such as harassment or distress.”

WLR Daily, 7th August 2007

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.