In fourteen pages this paper examines the United Kingdom's 1998 Data Protection Act in which it is described as both abused and ineffective regarding information obtaining and disclosure. Eight sources are cited in the bibliography.
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Kingdom in recognition of the need to protect private information from inappropriate dissemination. The Data Protection Act of 1998 is one of the most visible of these measures.
This act was implemented in the United Kingdom for the express purpose of regulating the:
"processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information"1.
While the intent of the law is to prevent sensitive information from falling, or being released into, the wrong hands, it has done little to meet
this intent. In effect, The Data Protection Act has been both abused and ineffective. Although the Act was enacted in 1998, little has changed in regard to the
manner in which information is accessed and distributed by both the government and private entities in the United Kingdom. Consequently, sensitive information is allowed little protection.
The problems surrounding the effectiveness of the Information Protection Act revolve around a view of the Act as being largely inconsequential. Verkaik (2002) reports that,
rather than serving to protect the public from abuse of the Data Protection Act, ministers have in actuality undermined the role of the Act.
Consequent to the lack of seriousness with which the Information Protection Act is perceived at all levels of government, there has been a rabid disregard throughout business
for its requirements. In 2001, in fact, there were some eight thousand investigations revolving around the wrongful disclosure of data to third parties2. The impact of data breaches