14th Newsletter -> 8 - 14 October 2016

UK ICO Publishes a Code of Practice on Communicating Privacy Information to Individuals

The Code of practice is aimed at organisation that obtain personal data as part of a simple transaction and is practically intended to help organisations develop a clear and effective privacy notice. In the Code the term “privacy notice” is used to describe all the privacy information that organisations make available or provide to individuals when they collect information about them. The privacy notice requirements contained in the Code are embedded in the Data Protection Act 1998 as well as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The ICO recommends to develop a blended approach by using a number of techniques to present privacy information to individuals in order to give them greater choice and control over how their personal data is used. On the other hand organisations can embrace transparency as a means of building trust and confidence with their consumers and use it as a means of distinguishing themselves from their competitors. The ICO emphasises the importance of fair and transparent processing of personal data and this means making certain information available to the data subjects.

Read more HERE

Access Code of Practice HERE

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

£20,000 Fine for Sending Spam Text

It has been another busy week for the UK Information Commissioner Office as it issued another fine for violation of how people’s personal information can be used for marketing. The ICO investigation revealed that Rainbow (UK) Ltd, based in Barnet, sent 21,045 spam texts over the period of 4 months about loans containing the following message:

“Get a CASH loan of up to 1000 pounds today! Apply now at www.payday-loansfor.me.uk/m and get your money in 10 mins. To opt out reply STOP.”

Organisations can only send marketing text messages to people who have specifically consented to receiving them. In situations where organisation buy marketing lists from suppliers they must carry out rigorous checks to make sure the third party has obtained the data fairly and lawfully and that they have the necessary consent. Rainbow failed to do this and has been subsequently fined £20,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Read more HERE

Read ICO’s Direct marketing guide HERE

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Irish DPC Issues a €7,500 Fine Over Data Protection Breaches

This week the outcome of the prosecution proceedings against a firm of private investigators and one its directors brought forward by the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has been concluded at the Tuam Disctrict Court. Glen Collection Investments Ltd. pleaded guilty to twentyfive sample charges for offences under the Irish Data Protection Acts (1988 & 2003). The company was convicted and fined €500 in respect of each of the five charges. Furthermore, Company Director, Mr. Michael Ryan, also pleaded guilty to ten charges for offences under Section 29 of the Data Protection Acts. Mr. Ryan was found guilty of all ten charges, and fined €500 in respect of each conviction. Cumulatively all the fines amounted to €7,500.

The investigation into this case by the Irish DPC uncovered significant levels of unauthorised access to personal data held by the Department of Social Protection, and the subsequent disclosure of that data to the defendant company by an official in the Department’s INTREO centre in Athlone, who was known to the company director.

Read more HERE

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________