My company has just decided to become data controllers and am applying to the appropriate department. How can I stop them from passing or selling information about its employees to 'companies' or government bodies. les

-- (alileskt@genie.co.uk), December 17, 2001

Answers

Couple of points that I feel I can comment on;

This is not a Home Repossession question, why are you asking such a question of the Home Repossession page? I'll comment on it but it is really a question that you should be asking of the Information Commissioners office. You can call them on 01625-545700 and they are quite helpful. They are also the "Sun" source of consumer information regarding the Data Protection Act and how it affects you as well.

All companies that hold data on data subject have to register. All companies that register are "Data Controllers" as such. All companies, registered or not, are required to pass data on their employee's to goverment bodies and departments, thats the law. All companies are restricted from selling details of data subjects, be they employee's or customers, unless the data subjects have agreed to the selling/transfer of their data before hand. (when you enter into a credit agreement with a bank for instance you have to agree that they will provide details of your account to credit reference agencies)

How can you stop them? You cant stop them from providing your details to the goverment departments. You would have to expand your concerns but unless you have agreed that they can provide an employee list to other companies then they can't.

Good Luck.

-- anon (i.hate.abbey.national@another.com), December 17, 2001.