Responsibility and accountability: Jisc Legal updates Data Protection code of practice
Jisc Legal has updated its Code of Practice on Data Protection to provide the most up to date guidance to the FE and HE sectors on an issue of enormous relevance to their day-to-day operations.
While the updated publication is not intended to provide an in-depth examination of the general principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 – which is widely available elsewhere - it concentrates on key issues of concern and relevance to FE and HE institutions, as indicated through consultation with the sector. ‘Data protection regimes seek to provide the individual with a degree of control over the use of their personal data.'
The Code has once again been authored by Andrew Charlesworth, Senior Research Fellow & Director, Centre for IT & Law, at the University of Bristol, who writes: ‘Data protection or data privacy regimes… do not seek to protect data itself, rather they seek to provide the individual with a degree of control over the use of their personal data… and to provide protection from unwanted or harmful uses of personal data. As such, data privacy regimes do not seek to cut off the flow of data, merely to see that it is collected and used in a responsible and, above all, accountable, fashion.’
The publication goes on to explore the key concepts of ‘purpose’, ‘fairness’ and ‘transparency’, the interaction of data protection legislation with other legislation, the value of Privacy Impact Assessments, links to key resources in the area, and much else.
Ralph Weedon, Director of Jisc Legal, said: ‘This is a publication that provides advice and guidance in an important area for FE and HE institutions but does so in a straightforward manner and in a way that is targeted to the needs of those institutions. We hope it will be widely consulted.’
For further information on the Code of Practice