Previous Page
60
Legal Focus
JANUARY 2013
Data Protection is a complex and tricky practice area, subject to ever-changing regulation and potential pitfalls for every business.
P
rudential was recently handed a hefty £50,000 fine for breaching the Data Protection Act, serving as a stark reminder to companies
to ensure that the utmost attention to detail is given to customer data bases and personal information.
The fine was imposed due to a serious mix up involving the accounts of two customers who happened to share the same name and date of birth. The failure to notice this led to tens of thousands of pounds in retirement funds being paid into the wrong account, taking many years to resolve despite Prudential having been alerted to the error more than once or twice.
Stephen Eckersley, Head of Enforcement at the Information Commissioner’s Office, said: “Organisations must make sure the information they hold on their customers’ files is accurate and kept up to date in order to comply with the Data Protection Act.”
Over the next few pages, Lawyer Monthly takes a deeper look into the legal implications and issues that can affect companies relating to data protection and compliance. We speak to two legal professionals from the UK who are highly experienced in this complex practice area and are well-placed to provide insightful comment. LM