What is the Data Protection Act?

The Data Protection Act was introduced in 1998 to protect the personal data of individuals, no matter how it is processed, what is processed or who processes it.

Examples of Personal Data

• Your name
• Your address
• Your date of birth
• Information contained in your passport
• Your religious beliefs
• Your image

Essentially it is any information that can be used to identify you as an individual.

The Act sets conditions which all users of personal information such as Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (known as Data Controller) must comply with when obtaining, using and sharing information about you. The Act also gives you certain rights which we, the Data Controller must respect.

How does it affect me?

The Act ensures that any personal information provided by you or others (known as third parties), about you must be accurate, must be securely stored, must be collected for a specific reason etc. These are know as the eight Data Protection Principles.

If Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council wish to share any personal information that we have collected about you then we may have to gain your consent. There are times when we have to share your information, for example, where there is a statutory requirement or it is lawful to do so.

What are my rights

Individuals have the following rights under the Data Protection Act:

• a right of access to a copy of their personal data;
• a right to object to processing that is likely to cause or is causing damage or distress;
• a right to prevent processing for direct marketing;
• a right to object to decisions being taken by automated means;
• a right in certain circumstances to have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed; and
• a right to claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Act.

  Please follow the link to the Subject Access Request page to find out how to access your personal information.