Monday, 3 July 2017

LO2 : Legal Issues

There are many laws that affect the use of information.
Three of these are the:

Data Protection Act 1998
The Data Protection Act controls how personal or customer information is used by organizations or government bodies. The Data Protection Act includes strict guidelines and privacy policies on how to keep information safe. Companies that do not have a data management strategy in place could be breaching the DPA and could be at risk of prosecution by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) where fines can reach up to £500,000 and even imprisonment. Any organization that handles personal information about individuals must protect that information under the Data Protection Act 1998.

·         These principles require any organization, corporation or governmental body that collects personal information to handle it safely.
·   The Data Protection Act, states that all organizations collecting and using personal information are legally required to comply with these principles.
·       The law provides stronger protection for more sensitive information - such as your ethnic background, political opinions, religious beliefs, health, sexual life or any criminal history.
·         This data act is enforced by an independent information commissioner, who can take action against any company or governmental body that fails to protect their data, or that abuses its right to collect and hold that information.


Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides public access to information held by public authorities. It does this in two ways: public authorities are obliged to publish certain information about their activities; and. members of the public are entitled to request information from public authorities.

Computer Misuse Act 1990
The Computer Misuse Act (1990) recognized the following new offences: Unauthorized access to computer material. Unauthorized access with intent to commit or facilitate a crime. Unauthorized modification of computer material. Making, supplying or obtaining anything which can be used in computer misuse offences.

Copyright and Patents Act 1988
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, is the current UK copyright law. It gives the creators of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works the right to control the ways in which their material may be used.

Harvard references:
Experian Data Quality. (2015). What is the Data Protection Act? | Experian Data Quality. [online] Available at: https://www.edq.com/uk/glossary/data-protection-act/ [Accessed 4 Jul. 2017].
Ico.org.uk. (2017). What is the Freedom of Information Act?. [online] Available at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-freedom-of-information/what-is-the-foi-act/ [Accessed 4 Jul. 2017].

Teach-ict.com. (2017). Teach-ICT AS Level ICT OCR exam board - data protection act. [online] Available at: http://www.teach-ict.com/as_a2_ict_new/ocr/AS_G061/317_role_impact_ict/computer_misuse_act/miniweb/ [Accessed 4 Jul. 2017].

https://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/uk_law_summary

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