PL&B UK E-news, Issue 60
22 June, 2007
© Privacy Laws & Business 2007
- Orange and Littlewoods found in breach of DP Act
- The ICO is getting tougher. The Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas will be launching his consultation on his ‘New strategy and new priorities for Data Protection and Freedom of Information’ at the PL&B Cambridge Conference on Monday, 2nd July
- ICO publishes guidance on bankruptcy
1. Orange and Littlewoods found in breach of DP Act
Yesterday, it was announced that Orange Personal Communications Services Ltd and Littlewoods Home Shopping have been found in breach of the Data Protection Act by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
A complaint regarding the way in which new members of Orange staff were allowed to share user names and passwords when accessing the company IT system led to an investigation. The ICO found that Orange was not keeping its customers’ personal information secure.
Littlewoods, on the other hand, had failed to respect an individual’s wish to stop the company using her personal data for direct marketing purposes. Despite her requests, Littlewoods continued to send her marketing materials.
Both organisations have signed a formal undertaking with the ICO. Orange has promised, in particular, that the sharing of user names and passwords by Customer Service Representatives, to access computer systems, shall not be allowed under any circumstances. Littlewoods’ undertaking obliges the company to respect opt-outs from receiving marketing materials.
Copies of the signed undertakings are available at: http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/data_protection/enforcement.aspx
2. The ICO is getting tougher. The Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas will be launching his consultation on his ‘New strategy and new priorities for Data Protection and Freedom of Information’ at the PL&B Cambridge Conference on Monday, 2nd July
There are now two additional sessions which were not on the printed programme:
1. Question time with Google, on Tuesday, 3rd July
2. Information is money: The future of personal profiling, with Privacy International and the BBC, on Wednesday, 4th July.
3. ICO publishes guidance on bankruptcy
The ICO on June 19th published new guidance to help individuals who have been declared bankrupt or whose bankruptcy has been annulled. The guidance helps people understand the information on their credit reference files.
To download the guide, go to http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/bankruptcy_faqs_v2003.pdf
|
