The data
protection act data is a law designed to protect personal data store on
computers or paper filled system. There are eight
principles put in place by the Data Protection Act 1998 to make sure that
individual’s
information is handled properly:
• be fairly
and lawfully processed;
• be
processed for limited purposes
• be
adequate, relevant and not excessive;
• be
accurate and kept up-to-date;
• not be
kept for longer than is necessary;
• be
processed in accordance with data subject's rights;
• be kept
secure;
• not be
transferred to countries without adequate protection.
The DPA
sets up right for people who have kept data about them.
A Right of Subject Access-A data subject
has a right to be supplied by a data controller with the personal data held
about him or her. The data controller can charge a
fee for this.
A Right of Correction- A data subject
may force a data controller to correct any mistakes in the data held about
them.
A Right to Prevent Distress- A data
subject may prevent the use of information if it would be likely to cause them
distress.
A Right to Prevent Direct Marketing- A data
subject may stop their data being used in attempts to sell them things.
A Right to Prevent
Automatic Decisions- A data
subject may specify that they do not want a data user to make
"automated" decisions about them where, through points scoring, a
computer decides on, for example, a loan application.
A Right of Complaint to the Information Commissioner- A data
subject can ask for the use of their personal data to be reviewed by the
Information Commissioner who can enforce a ruling using the DPA. The
Commissioner may inspect a controller's computers to help in the investigation.
A Right to Compensation- The data
subject is entitled to use the law to get compensation for damage caused if personal
data about them is inaccurate, lost, or disclosed.
If someone is on a social networking site and
puts their address, name, number, email addresses and list of hobbies onto their Facebook page
the rights of that information has to stay on that page. Facebook cannot pass
on their information to other sources. This will prevent the use junk email or
any cold calling.