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Employment lawData protectionLatest News

Data protection watchdog to get tough on business

by Personnel Today 6 Feb 2006
by Personnel Today 6 Feb 2006

The UK’s data protection watchdog is to step up enforcement action on companies that flout the Data Protection Act.

David Smith, the newly appointed deputy information commissioner, said the organisation plans to focus its enforcement efforts on the worst offenders.

“Businesses that are not complying will find us turning the screws a bit harder and a bit earlier than we have done until now,” he said.

The crackdown would lead to more prosecutions of companies that knowingly break data protection laws, Smith said.

At the same time, the Information Commissioner’s Office plans to make it easier for firms to comply with regulations, by issuing simplified guidelines.

Smith plans to work more closely with businesses to ensure the watchdog can address their concerns. He is evaluating plans to set up a stakeholder forum for businesses, which will feed into the work of the Information Commissioner’s Office.

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“In many areas, guidance is more effective if it is produced by industry bodies rather than the regulator,” he said.

“We will work with them; they know better what their problems are and how to put messages over to their members in a way which is meaningful.”

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

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