Information Commission criticised over Data Protection Act

The Information Commission has come under attack criticism for failing to adequately prepare companies for the full provisions of the Data Protection Act, which recently came into full force.

The Data Protection Act 1998 has recently come into full force, imposing new burdens on businesses and giving consumers new data protection rights. The Act was introduced in March 2000, with a transitional period granted until 24 October 2001.

Companies failing to comply with the Act could face a fine of up to £5,000, and the Information Commission originally made it clear that it would be quick to impose sanctions on non-compliant companies to forbid them from processing personal information. However, businesses are struggling to comply with the law, and the Information Commission is struggling to deal with all the queries it receives.
 
The Information Commission has published ‘The Data Protection Act 1998 – Legal Guidance’ to help organisations that hold personal information to stay within the data protection laws. It sets out the changes to the Act and interprets it in the light of the Human Rights Act.

The Workplacelaw Network also has information on what businesses need to do to comply with the Act – just visit the links in the left-hand bar.
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