Category: Data Protection

For the last 20 years, Home Secretaries have been signing warrants that allow for the access to the content of intercepted communications and as well as powers of entry, search and seizure for the national security agencies. Not many people object to these powers because the interception, search or entry is in a good cause that protects the public. But how do we know this? The answer is that the Government has established a number of independent regulators (e.g. Surveillance

Whilst on holiday abroad (late August), I spotted a Daily Mail headline that baldly stated that “one in 78 adults came under state-sanctioned surveillance last year”. Perusing the newspaper at a safe distance of 1.625 metres, it did not take me long to work out that the story had missed some other interesting statistical points in relation to the Annual Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioner, just published. Any informed analysis of this controversial subject must start with the

Amberhawk Training today announces the creation of the Shelagh Gaskill Bursary, which provides up to £1,000 towards the cost of legal training in freedom of information and data protection.  The bursary is a progression of the Shelagh Gaskill Scholarship that was successfully administered by international law firm Pinsent Masons following Shelagh’s death in 2006.  The scholarship operated for three years and provided training in data protection and freedom of information for charities and those in the voluntary sector.  It supported

It’s been an incredibly busy year in the life if Amberhawk Training Limited, so the Hawk has decided to flap its wings and soar away for a few weeks of rest and recuperation in the woods. We’ll be flying back in 3-4 weeks to continue with our fantastic training courses covering Data Protection, Freedom of Information and the ISEB qualification, held at venues in Leeds, London and Manchester or on site at a location of your choice.   You’ll still

Privacy is an important right that feeds into other rights; for instance, a lack of privacy can undermine family life, confidential services and a free press. Who would want to tip-off a journalist, reveal sensitive details about oneself, or engage in a controversial political idea or demonstrate in order to change public policy if the state can record you on CCTV, track where you drive with ANPR, or have access to records of who you have contacted by phone, or

Ian Kerr, the private detective from Droitwich (Worcestershire), maintained a blacklist for use by the construction industry; he has just been fined £5,000 for breaching the Data Protection Act. Although the Information Commissioner has issued a press release explaining that this is the end of the matter, the real truth is that the prosecution exposes the fact that Government chose to exempt manual dodgy dossiers of personal details from the protection afforded by the Act and the weakness of the

Without doubt services such as Google Street View can be useful. Just imagine that you are going for a job-interview in an unfamiliar city-centre; isn’t it useful to know the lay of the land before you travel? However, away from the city centres, some householders claim that Google’s Street View has invaded their private space by publishing pictures that can zoom through the upstairs windows or into front rooms. Sometimes, privacy campaigners have based their data protection arguments on the

Am I the only individual on the planet who was surprised at the press response to the recent announcement by the Home Secretary that the ID Card would not be compulsory? As far as I know, ID Cards were never going to be compulsory until Parliament voted for compulsion. So what’s new? The press coverage has overlooked the fact that the privacy problems lie not with the ID Card but with its related database, the National Identity Register (NIR). The

The Policing and Crime Bill currently before the House of Lords provides for wide ranging powers in relation to the use and retention of personal data, in particular CCTV and Automated Number Plate Readers (ANPR) images, and personal data derived from DNA samples. Did you know about this? – Probably not. This is because the Government has explained the purpose of the clause in terms of the loss of its ECHR case relating to the national DNA database (i.e. S

The MPs expenses scandal has awoken a debate on “what Parliament is for?”. It had always supposed it was to scrutinise legislation, but it is clear to me that this does not happen; the executive branch of government has control of the legislature and can whip the votes in favour of what it wants. An elected second chamber, now the policy of this Government, runs the risk of extending the Government’s control of Parliament; do you think that the party