Purpose Of The Data Protection Act

In 1998 the Data Protection Act was finally revised after being introduced in 1984. It finally took effect March 1, 2000. The purpose of the Data Protection Act is to protect individuals and their personal data from misuse by organizations.

The Data Protection Act's purpose is to protect personal data, defined as information about any individual who can be identified by any information the data controller my be in possession of. It regulates personal data that is stored, collected and used.

There are eight principles in the Data Protection Act.

* Fairly and lawfully processed * Processed for limited purposes * Adequate, relevant and not excessive * Not kept for longer than is necessary * Processed in line with your rights * Secure * Not transferred to countries without adequate protection

These eight principles of the Data Protection Act give you the basic purpose. It protects personal information. This information can be things such as an individuals name, phone number, address, previous address, images, etc. There is also another type of personal data. This is called sensitive personal data. Sensitive personal data includes political affiliations, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, ethnic group, any physical or mental health issues, etc. There a few extra guidelines regarding sensitive personal data.

Individuals were granted certain rights regarding their personal data. They have the right to access their own personal data. They may object to any direct marketing and have the right to object to any automated decision taking. They may also allowed to object to certain processing of personal data that would cause them damage or distress in any way.

Personal data may also be obtained by the individual. They me be asked for a written request. A small fee and the individual may be asked to verify their identity before the personal data is obtained. The purpose of these requests are actually there to protect the individuals personal information. The Data Protection Act also states that personal data must be kept accurate and up to date. It also states the all personal information must be obtained legally and lawfully.

The need for the Data Protection Act is extremely apparent. The purpose of this is to protect the individual and their personal data. When we open ourselves to a world of endless information, excessive damage may be caused. The Data Protection Act is there to help us, to regulate the infinite lines of information that exists. It gives rights to the individual and their personal information.