Data Protection

The Data Protection Act 1998 deals with how personal data should be stored, used and accessed.

Individual have seven rights under the Data Protection Act:

 

1. The right to subject access- an individual can ask for a copy of the information held on them. A fee up to £10 can be charged for the copy.
2. The right to prevent processing- the individual can ask the data controller not to process information that causes substantial unwarranted damage or distress to themselves or anyone else.
3. The right to prevent processing for direct marketing – The individual can ask the data controller not to process information for direct marketing purposes.
4. Rights in relation to automated to automated decision-making – Individuals can object to decisions made only by automated methods (No human involvement).
5. The right to compensation – where damage or distress has been caused by a breach of the Act.
6. The right to rectification, blocking, erased and destruction – the individual can apply to court to order a controller to have information corrected, blocked, erased or destroyed if it can be shown to be wrong or contains opinions based on inaccurate information.
7. The right to ask the information commissioner to assess whether the Act has been contravened.