Get up to data
Megan Palmer explains how a new data protection law will affect writers
Megan Palmer
The recent Facebook data scandal has cast a spotlight on data security. We all hand over personal information in our dayto- day lives, from our bank details to information about our health and lifestyles (consider how much insurance companies know about you). Until recently, few of us worried about how that information – or data – is stored, and who can access it.
On 25 May, new legislation applying to data gathering, storage and access comes into force. This is the General Data Protection Regulation rules, or GDPR, and it applies to both physical and electronic data. The law is enforced in the UK by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).