Data Protection - er, not really

[David Cochrane]

From this morning's Irish Independent - A civil servant working in the Department of Social, Community & Family Affairs gives his brother data that he can then use to burgle people.

So various government employees can snoop into the system - nice to see the Data Protection Acts are alive and well at the heart of government.

Earlier this year, 72 people were reprimanded for 'snooping' into the records of Limerick Euromillions winner Delores McNamara.

Officials at the department examined 106 cases where its staff logged onto McNamara’s records in the days after her record €115m jackpot win last July. It found that 72 of them had no reason to call up her details and, by doing so, breached department rules designed to protect the privacy of personal records.

The offending civil servants have been sent a formal letter pointing out that they are only supposed to consult such information as part of their assigned duties. They have also been warned that they will face disciplinary action, up to dismissal, should they ignore this advice.

If the Government Departments are aware of this abuse, and also aware of who's snooping, can it not take responsible steps to limit who can use the system, and what for?

[seanad voter]

As an ex-Dept of Finance civil servant who has requested personal data under the FOA, I have pointed out the possibility of such abuse to the relevant authorities on 2 separate occasions in recent years. I got acknowledgements but nothing else.

[The OD]

From this morning's Irish Independent - A civil servant working in the Department of Social, Community & Family Affairs gives his brother data that he can then use to burgle people.

So various government employees can snoop into the system - nice to see the Data Protection Acts are alive and well at the heart of government.

I never really had any faith in it anyway. What I find most disturbing is the claim of the individual involved that a lot more people are up to it than him.

However, I do accept that its probably quite hard to police this area.

[seanad voter]

With decentralisation the web of info sharing across the state makes abuse even easier.

[David Cochrane]

I went and fetched some coverage from earlier in the year over Delores McNamara - 72 people were reprimanded for snooping into her file, so there is an electronic papertrail of who's looking at what.

[seanad voter]

And that's not to mention the eejits who leave stuff in photocopiers or misdirect their emails.

[Gimpanzee]

Problem is this guy appears to have had the right to access the information in question - (social welfare details etc..), but clearly breached the 'authorised use' rules.

before I read this article this morning I came across an old story of how Dolores McNamara's (the Euro millions winner) social welfare records had up to 150 'read' actions against them after she won the jackpot. (http://www.tjmcintyre.com/2005/09/your- ... -sale.html)

And there is another recent story in the Sunday Times of how employees are leaking info to the press for cash (http://www.digitalrights.ie/2007/07/16/ ... -insurers/).

If nothing else it might wake people up to the fact that the dangers to their personal privacy in the information age comes not from some Orwellian government machine hell bent on cataloguing us all for enslavement, or sinister corporate bodies - but from the ever present unscrupulous individual. As part of the analysis for the REAL ID Act in the US, it was estimated that 1% of all bank officials were misusing or abusing access to private financial data.

[adamirer]

There will always be a few bad eggs in any area, civil service is no different from police, church, teachers, bankers, office workers etc..

[myk]

Well this is a warning over the rentention of further information by the state, such as the recent rule that means phone records are retained by the state for years.

[seanad voter]

And of course we all know that every single one of us who logs on here is "monitored" ... and not just by David.