Data Protection,... who is it protecting?
Too often we find organisations which refuse to supply information, citing the Data Protection Act as reasons for inaction. The Information Commissioner has started an initiative to debunk some of these myths. Let's hope the message gets through to Marks and Spencer.
The Marks and Spencer incident was reported in the Daily Mail recently. Seven year old Jacob was given a Superman suit by his aunt as a birthday present but when Jacob unwrapped it he found the yellow belt was missing. His mother, Debbie, called the Marks and Spencer help line to ask about a replacement but found herself talking to an operator who refused to discuss the problem with her until young Jacob had come to the phone, identified himself using the usual barrage of questions and given his consent for the operator to speak to his mother. The operator cited Data Protection legislation as the reason for this stance. Clearly this is nonsense as the call was about replacing a missing yellow belt, a consumer sales issue, not about divulging personal information, and had nothing whatsoever to do with the Data Protection Act. Marks and Spencer has since apologised for this incident and given Jacob a free Hulk suit as compensation.
The Information Commissioner's Office takes a dim view of organisations which use the Data Protection Act as an excuse for inaction, and it is trying to debunk some of the myths ascribed to the Act, such as the erroneous but widely held belief that the Act stops parents from taking photos in schools. Other examples it gives of a failure of common sense is the myth that the Act prevents parents from finding out their children's exam results, or that priests cannot mention sick parishioners by name in church services.
18th September 2008