Data privacy

[gingerpaul]

Hello all. I was wondering whether you would be able to answer a quick question for me.

Are you able to opt out of the Data Protection Act with regards to access to information held about you? Specifically, in an academic environment. I can go into more detail if required but I don't want to bore you all. Suffice to say I think there is some fiddling going on somewhere.

Thanks in advance,

Paul

[plasticpig]

If you mean opt out in terms of information not to be passed to third parties then yes you can effectivley opt out. The passing of information requires consent.

If you mean the academic institution can opt out the data protection act the n or parts thereof then I dont believe so.

[Eric Mc]

The Data Protection Act does not stop organisations/institutions/businessess having your personal information on their files. What it does try to control is the uses to which they can put that information. Increasingly, it is also moving into the area of allowing individuals to access that data for themselves - such as medical records held by doctors etc.

[gingerpaul]

Thanks for the replies.

For one of our final year modules we have been taught by a different department. Whilst not unusual, it had not happened to me for a few years. This time round it was an easy module (for a final year module) and we all thought we'd nailed it.

Unfortunately we've all got poor marks back. I would take it on the chin except I know that there is a history of people from our department being given poorer marks than people from the department who are teaching the modules because we were making students from their own department look bad. I'm not saying that is the case here, but they will not release anyones marks apart from mine. This is not the case for my department, who publish everyones marks and display them on notice boards, with id numbers attached rather than names.

What I really want to know is whether I can get a copy of everyones results for the module, even if they are just a load of grades, so that we can assess how the marks have been split. If we were unable to do this through conventional means I was wondering whether or not it would be possible to get access through the Data Protection Act. My question about opting out was whether, as an academic body, a university could remove the right to release documents to me regarding the module marks, or indeed, argue that they cannot be released.

Basically, I just want to know what's going on. I'm ploughing through the university regulations at the moment looking for the answer, but thought that exploring other avenues might prove fruitful.

Thanks again.

[AquilaEagle]

Sounds more like Freedom of information act rather than Data Protection.

My old man is hot on the FOI Act, as he has been using it recently, i will point him here

[pdV6]

So basically, you're after information that pertains to other students, rather than yourself?

Preventing that sort of thing would be one of the things the DPA is specifically designed to do! I'd be upset if they actually gave you the information that you're after! I can understand why you want it, though.

[adrianeagle]

Hi

As AquilaEagle has said I am used to the FoI and DP Act. In this case being an institution you can get information using the FoI Act. Only thing is that personal information, which this sounds like, is exempt due to the DP Act. I think your up a gum tree.

If you have strong evidence to complain then surely there must be a proceedure governing such matters.

If you want any information on any Act of Parliament just do a search and it normally will take you straight to it.

[gingerpaul]

adrianeagle said:

Hi As AquilaEagle has said I am used to the FoI and DP Act. In this case being an institution you can get information using the FoI Act. Only thing is that personal information, which this sounds like, is exempt due to the DP Act. I think your up a gum tree. If you have strong evidence to complain then surely there must be a proceedure governing such matters. If you want any information on any Act of Parliament just do a search and it normally will take you straight to it.

Hi,

Thanks for the information. I will have a dig around.

With regards to it being personal information, the statistics are published against your ID number to keep it anonymous. I assume this is how every other department can get away with publishing their results on paper on noticed boards. Would this keep it within the scope of the FoI Act?

Thank you for your help. I hope I'm just being paranoid but reading this forum regularly reminds you how few people you can trust out there.

Sceptic, moi?