Data protection in the United Kingdom: Part 1

Abstract

The United Kingdom Government is about to enact legisla tion for data protection. It is intended that this will safeguard the pnvacy of the individual which is seen to be threatened by the increasing use and capabilities of computerised personal information systems. There are also fears that the British computer and data processing industries will be at a disad vantage when competing in the international market without legislation equivalent to that already operating in other coun tries. The legislation will enable the UK to ratify the Council of Europe Data Protection Convention and to comply with the OECD Guidelines on Transborder Data Flow.

Data protection is a valuable example of the interaction of information technology and society. This paper presents an overview of the issues involved. It examines what is meant by data privacy and how that privacy may be infringed by the use of both computerised and manual record systems. The impact of technology on the privacy problem is descnbed, including linkage of computer systems and the contribution of computer security. The need for legislation is discussed, both within the context of the international situation and of the early attempts at domestic legislation.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Anon. , IBM Europe statement on privacy, Information Hotline 10(5) (1978) 1, 4-6.

Anon. , Barriers to international information flow, Information Hotline 13(6) (1981) 1, 13-19.

A. Armstrong , Economic 'war' over data flow, Information World 2(3) (1980) 19-24.

J. Bing , Personal data systems—a comparative perspective on a basic concept in privacy legislation, Information Privacy 2(1) (1980) 28-33.

B. Cousins , Privacy and confidentiality, Information Privacy 2(4) (1980) 162-164.

C.P.D. Davidson . Letters to The Times 3, 28 March 1980.

J. Freese , International Data Flow (Student Literature, Lund, 1979).

J. Freese , Information policy developments in Sweden, Information Privacy 3(6) (1981) 270.

H.-P. Gassman , Information, Computer and Communications Policies for the 80's, OECD Report (North-Holland, Amsterdam. 1982).

10.

U. Gelinas , Transborder data flows: key issues and an implementation mechanism, Information Privacy 3(4) (1981) 131-136.

11.

F.M. Greguras , Information systems and privacy issues in the USA, Information Privacy 2(3) (1980) 90-97.

12.

T. Hafli , Transborder data flow—the Scandinavian solution, Information Privacy I(8) (1979) 326-330.

13.

J. Hanlon , Data protection still required, New Scientist 71 (16 September 1976) 570.

14.

R. Harrington , The contribution of the Council of Europe, in: P. Hewitt , Ed., Computers. Records and the Right to Privacy (Input Two-Nine, Purley, 1979) 110-113.

15.

P. Hewitt , Privacy: The Information Gatherers (National Council for Civil Liberties, London, 1977).

16.

Home Office, Computers and Privacy (White Paper), Cmnd. 6353 (HMSO, London, 1975).

17.

Home Office, Computers: Safeguards for Privacy (White Paper), Cmnd. 6354 (HMSO, London, 1975).

18.

Home Office, Data Protection—The Government's Proposals for Legislation (White Paper), Cmnd. 8539 (HMSO, London, 1982).

19.

R. Johnston , Do computers really threaten our privacy?, The Times (26 March 1980) 23.

20.

Justice, Privacy and the Law (Stevens and Sons, London, 1970).

21.

F. Kuitenbrouwer , The world data war, New Scientist 89 (3 September 1981) 604-605.

22.

Lindop Report , Report of the Committee on Data Protection (Chairman, Sir Norman Lindop), Cmnd. 7341 (HMSO, London, 1978).

23.

N. Lindop , International protection of personal data—re— ciprocity or harmonisation ?, in: OECD, Transborder Data Flows and the Protection of Privacy (OECD, Paris, 1979) 288-292.

24.

National Council for Civil Liberties, Legislation for information privacy, Information Privacy 2(6) (1980) 248-252.

25.

A.R.D. Norman, Speech to the UK Parliamentary Computer Forum, London, 17 December 1979.

26.

Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation, Policy Issues in Data Protection and Privacy, Seminar Proceedings, 24-26 June 1974 (OECD, Paris, 1976).

27.

Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation, Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Data Flows of Personal Data (OECD, Pans, 1980).

28.

G. Russell Pipe , At sea over pirate data banks, New Scientist 73 (13 January 1977) 86-87.

29.

P. Sieghart , Privacy and Computers (Latimer, London, 1976).

30.

H. Sieglerschmidt , European Parliament report on data processing and the rights of the individual, Information Age 4 (3) (1982) 183-185.

31.

C. Tapper , Compurer Law 2nd Ed. (Longman , London, 1982).

32.

A. Westin , Privacy and Freedom (Bodley Head, London, 1970).

33.

R. Wrede , Work of the Swedish Data Inspection Board, in: P. Hewitt , Ed., Computers, Records and the Right to Privacy (Input Two-Nine, Purley, 1979) 119-138.

34.

Younger Report , Report of the Committee on Privacy (Chairman, Sir Kenneth Younger), Cmnd. 5012 (HMSO, London, 1972).