9. Data Protection Terms

Here are some terms which you need to understand and remember:

Personal Data

Personal data covers both facts and opinions about a living individual. Facts would include name, address, date of birth, marital status or current bank balance. Results in examinations, details of driving offences, record of medicine prescribed and financial credit rating are further examples of facts that could relate to an individual.

Data Subject

This is the person that the data is being collected from or stored about. This could be you!

Data User

This is any person who needs to access or use the data as part of their job. This could be a secretary who needs to look up your address so that they can send a letter home to your parents. It could be your doctor who needs to know what allergies you have before prescribing you medicine.

Data Controller

This is often the person in charge of the organisation - but it doesn't necessarily have to be.

This person decides what data the organisation needs to collect and what it will be used for.

This is the person who must apply for permission to collect and store data in the first place.

Data Commissioner

This is the person who enforces the Data Protection Act.

This is the person that organisations need to apply to in order to gain permission to collect and store personal data.