PLWMW2© 2000 Adrian Tribe1 Public Library Web Sites and the Data Protection Act 1998 Adrian Tribe Birkbeck, University of London
PLWMW2 © 2000 Adrian Tribe 2 Web Sites A vital part of any UK organisation UK on-line population c.20 million (c.60 million by 2005?!) receives c.800,000 successful page requests per day (Sep 2000) Useful for data gathering data publishing data processing
PLWMW2 © 2000 Adrian Tribe 3 Data Protection Act 1998 (1 March 2000) Priority is protection of personal privacy Compliance with 8 Data Protection Principles is a legal requirement for all Notification is required before many categories of data processing allowed Enhanced subject access rights Some transitional exemptions to 2001
PLWMW2 © 2000 Adrian Tribe 4 DPA Web Implications (1) Data Gathering Notice must be given of: data controller nominated representative (if appropriate) purpose(s) for which data will be processed any other information to enable processing to be ‘fair’ e.g. disclosure to 3rd parties Use the ‘Information Padlock’ signpost from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
PLWMW2 © 2000 Adrian Tribe 5 DPA Web Implications (2) Data Gathering (continued) Principle 4 - ‘data shall be accurate and … kept up to date’ Principle 7 - security issues Display a general Privacy Statement
PLWMW2 © 2000 Adrian Tribe 6 DPA Web Implications (3) Data Publishing Disclosure - are you allowed to? Principle 8 - prohibition on transfer outside the European Economic Area Contracts with Data Processors (external Web Agency) Raise staff awareness of DP issues
PLWMW2 © 2000 Adrian Tribe 7 Web Site Survey 119 of these Web sites were surveyed
PLWMW2 © 2000 Adrian Tribe 8 Web Site Survey Results
PLWMW2 © 2000 Adrian Tribe 9 DPA Web Implications (4) Data Processing using a Web front-end Principle 7
PLWMW2 © 2000 Adrian Tribe 10 Other Web Considerations Best Value and the Beacon Council Scheme Modernising Government e-government : A Strategic framework for public services in the Information Age UK Government Interoperability Framework Implementing e-government: Guidelines for Local Government Privacy and Data Sharing Guidelines
PLWMW2 © 2000 Adrian Tribe 11 Some Resources ODPC: DP Register: DPA 1998: DPA subordinate legislation: OECD Privacy Statement Generator: DPC FoI information: Home Office FoI Unit: FoI Bill: Information Age Government Champions (e-government strategy):