10 Feb 2009

Collection of data 'should be regulated'

The advancement of technology must not outpace regulatory safeguards, according to a sector specialist.

Privacy rights must be protected by instigating adequate controls on data collection, claims Isabella Sankey, director of policy at fundamental rights council Liberty.

"It really is about how it's used and about legislation keeping up with the technology so you don't get a problem," she says.

Avoiding issues such as the CCTV debate, which saw regulation fail to keep up with what was possible, is paramount to successfully enforcing the measures, Ms Sankey adds.

She concludes that the body sees technology as a neutral thing, in the sense that it "can be used for good … and for the worst".

The Freedom of Information Act reports that 88 per cent of public authorities received at least one request for data in 2008, compared to 81 per cent of organisations being asked the year before.