The Data Protection Act 1998 is an act of United Kingdom (UK) parliament, which defines the law on processing the data on identifiable living people. The purpose of Data Protection Act is to protect the rights of individual about whom the data is obtained, stored, supplied or processed rather than those organizations or people who use and control personal data. This act applies to both computerized as well as paper records. It applies to anything done to personal data such as use, collection, destruction, disclosure or merely holding data.

The Data Protection Act aims at promoting high standards in handling of personal information as well as to protect the individual’s right to privacy. The act controls how your personal information is used by the government or corporations. The rules of Data Protection Act are quite complex, but at the heart of it are eight common rules which are considered as data protection principles.

• The personal data must be processed fairly as well as lawfully.

• The personal data must be obtained for lawful and specified purposes.

• The personal data must be relevant, adequate and not excessive.

• The personal data must be accurate and kept up to date, where necessary.

• The personal data must not be kept longer than is necessary.

• The personal data must be processed in accordance with the rights of the individual.

• Appropriate organizational and technical measures must be taken against unauthorized processing of personal data.

• The personal data must not be transferred to a territory or country outside European Economic Area unless there is adequate protection for the information.

The Data Protection Act also ensures that the employees can also be prosecuted for unauthorized or unlawful action under the legislation. If you use or disclose any information about other people without proper authorization or their consent, you will end up in paying £5000 as penalty. So, it is necessary for you to be careful while using the e-mail, internet and the internal network. You should take care special care with sensitive data such as religious or political beliefs, ethnic origins, disabilities, health data, trade union membership, sexual life or details of offences or alleged offences.