The Data Protection Act 1998: what does it mean for manual records and electronic data storage?

The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA1998) provides important privacy rights for individuals seeking to protect their personal data. In many cases these rights are considerably stronger than those conferred under the previous Data Protection Act 1984 (DPA1984). As we accelerate into the information society, increasingly businesses are recognising personal data and information as essential assets and are looking to improve their efficiency through enhanced access and processing techniques. For organisations seeking to comply with DPA1998, the challenge is to translate its very broad (and sometimes ambiguous) language into practical, but at the same time commercially realistic, measures. As Victoria Bright, a Partner at DLA explains, this is by no means an easy task.

What is “personal data”?

Section 1.1 of defines “data” as information which: