In a move to crack down on the illegal trade in personal information UK courts will soon start jailing people who trade in, or deliberately misuse, the personal data of others, according to the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
Today's decision follows a public consultation on increasing penalties for deliberate and wilful misuse of personal data and is part of the Government's strategy on data sharing to deliver better public services to individuals.
The British Government has been increasingly concerned about an apparent growth in the trade in personal data, especially to companies that engage in spam email and cold calling marketing tactics, and under the new regulation, offenders could face up to two years in prison.
The current penalty of a small fine in the Data Protection Act have not provided a sufficiently strong deterrent.
"We are determined to do all we can to stamp out this intrusive and illegal trade, ”Lord Falconer, Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor, said. "People have a right to have their privacy protected from those who would deliberately misuse it and I believe the introduction of custodial penalties will be an effective deterrent to those who seek to procure or wilfully abuse personal data.”
"Greater data-sharing within the public sector has the potential to be hugely beneficial to the public and is wholly compatible with proper respect for individuals' privacy,” he added. “One of the essential ways of maintaining that compatibility is to ensure the security and integrity of personal data once it has been shared."
The Government will introduce this amendment when Parliamentary time allows.
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