Using Information at the University University Secretarys Office

2 Secretarys Office Property/Commercial Law Employment Law Contracts Student complaints/discipline Insurance Equal Opportunities/Diversity Data Protection/Freedom of Information

3 Relevant Acts Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (monitoring use of computers) Data Protection Act 1998 (protecting information about people) Freedom of Information Act 2000 (revealing information about everything else)

4 Use of Computers Regulations for the use of computer facilities All UoB computers All computers connected to the UoB network

5 Users must not: Use computers to break the law: –e.g. accessing information without authorisation –giving others access to the network –disclosing passwords –illegally copying or downloading software –Accessing criminal material

6 Do not access/send material that is: Discriminatory Homophobic Excessively violent Obscene Libellous Blasphemous Seditious Inciting racial hatred Offensive Defamatory Threatening Abusive

7 Monitoring Computer Use UoB legally monitors/logs computer use Policy for the Investigation of Computers UoB reports criminal activity to the police

8 Data Protection

9 Why have a Data Protection Act? Personal data collected in UK –e.g. loyalty cards –mobile phones –CCTV Personal data collected by UoB –e.g. medical/sickness records –staff/student disciplinary records –confidential research –personnel files

10 The Data Protection Act Personal Privacy Individuals in an organisation The organisation itself Damage or distress

11 The Act obliges the University to: Collect information about people only with their permission, unless there is a legal reason to do so Show individuals the information it holds about them if they request it Be very careful when giving this information to anyone else

12 Personal Data Any information that identifies a living person –e.g. name and/or address –NI number –postcode –ethnic origin –religion –photograph

13 The Act Applies to all records and documents Covers anything you do with those documents, including reading

14 Rights under the Act Access to information, including references and s To prevent damage or distress, including objecting to direct marketing Compensation Rectification of inaccurate data

15 Security Keep paper records under lock and key Use passwords Use confidential waste No personal data on home computers Dont give personal data to people outside UoB, even the police Seek advice

16 Freedom of Information

17 The Act public authorities legal right to know more open and accountable encourages publishing in advance fully retrospective some exemptions personal data still protected

18 Requirements of the Act to adopt a Publication Scheme (a guide to publicly available information) by 2004 to deal with individual requests for information from 2005

19 Individual Rights to know whether UoB holds information to be given the information within 20 working days if information is refused, to be told reasons why

20 Right to Know anyone, anywhere in the world journalists, campaigning groups, MPs any request from the public is an FOI request

21 Summing Up

22 Summing up Use computers responsibly Use professional language Write s as if they were memos Write open references Remember that everything you write could be made public to somebody (or everybody!) Get some training

23 Any Questions? Thank you