The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) was brought in to protect us and based around eight key principles which legally require our personal information to be:

• Processed fairly and lawfully

• Processed for specific purposes

• Adequate, relevant and not excessive

• Accurate and, where necessary, up to date

• Not kept for longer than is necessary

• Processed in accordance with your rights

• Kept secure

• Not transferred overseas without adequate safeguards in place.

I have never really worried about my personal data until I received a fax in error last week.  The RAPt CARAT team of HM Prison Service Wandsworth kindly faxed me someone's prison report.  This report gives me the person's name, address, drugs record, prison number, assessment, legal profile, drug and alcohol use and next court date.

I rang the sender explaining their error expecting some sort of explanation and reassurance that this is a rare occurance instead I was told "these things happen", given the correct fax number and asked to re-send.  I expected her to at least ask me to destroy the information but no instruction was given.

I will now shred the information however it leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.  They are clearly in breach of DPA.

Is my personal data protected?! Is yours?!