Data Protection in the UK?

Graham Moore asks: "I am getting really concerned about where my personal information goes nowadays. In the last two weeks I have read two news articles here in the UK that talk about call centers and other agencies being set up in India that will transparently deal with customers from the UK (see the this article from The Register). On the UK mainland we have the Data Protection Act to fall back on if we believe the data is knowingly being misused or we wish to see what is stored about us. I suspect that once off of the UK mainland our details can be used or abused unhindered. I have contacted my MP, Melanie Johnson, who is also the Minister for Consumer Affairs, and have not yet had a response. Am I worrying about this unnecessarily or should we all start to get very concerned?"

Comments

The EU is pretty tough with other countries

[km790816]

I read this article about the EU stroing arming US companies to comply with EU privacy guidelines. I can't believe this wouldn't be the case for India as well.

A lot of US companies were upset about this, as was the federal government, but I think the US ended up enacting laws that mirror the EU to ease tensions. Anyone has info on this?

False dichotomy.

[Anonymous Coward]

There's no dichotomy there. The root of both issues is that a person has the right to control their own property. If I go buy the latest Crap Band(TM) CD, that is now my property, and so I should really be able to do whatever I wish with it. Similarly, my own personal information is my own property unless I sell it to someone else. My doing business with someone does not give them the right to sell my personal information, much like I am not allowed to make thousands of copies of that Crap Band CD and sell them.

Another issue is the fact that there is no reason I should have to purchase a CD without having been able to listen to it beforehand to determine whether or not it's worth the price, especially since it cannot be returned or exchanged for another one after being purchased. But that doesn't really have anything to do with your suggestion.

Your suggestion about applying DRM-style limitations to consumer personal data is an interesting idea, however the notion that Palladium would aid us is rather disturbing, and I have a hard time even rationalizing it.

Guardion report.

[Troodon]

Over a few weeks The Guardian covered, in a series of supplements, the current state of privacy in the UK: Big Brother, it may answer some of the questions you have.