Weekly Roundup Of Data Issues - 10 August 2010

UNITED KINGDOM

Credit reference agencies to help combat benefit fraud

Prime Minister David Cameron is seeking help from credit reference agencies to combat benefit fraud in a bid to cut £1.5 billion from the annual welfare bill. The PM announced today that agencies will carry out credit checks on new benefit applicants for which they are likely to receive 'bounty' payments for each fraudster they identify. Employment minister Chris Grayling has defended the move against criticism from civil liberties groups, saying that the government is simply making use of commercially available data.

Click here for PM's article

Private investigators reminded on notification requirements

The Information Commissioner's Office has launched a campaign to ensure that private investigators notify them when they are handling personal data. As part of their role many private investigators regularly process personal information on people. All organisations handling personal data must notify the ICO under the Data Protection Act. The ICO is concerned that only a relatively small part of the industry appear on the public register and have sent out a reminder to the relevant professional organisations about the industry's legal responsibilities.

Click here for the press release

EUROPEAN UNION

Commission delays review of Data Protection Directive

The French data protection authority (CNIL) has announced that the European Commission has decided to postpone its proposal for revisions to the Data Protection Directive until 2011, following lobbying from national data protection...