DPA rights in the media context – the s. 32 stay mechanism

As most readers of this blog will be aware, the use of the DPA in media claims has become big business over the last few years. A major issue which arises in the context of DPA claims which are directed against the media is the extent to which the defendant can rely on the powerful stay mechanism provided for under ss. 32(4) and (5) DPA. This was a hotly contested issue in the case of Steinmetz v Global Witness

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Trumping E-Privacy Legislation

For those of you who can drag yourselves away from the relentless coverage of the formal commencement of Brexit, it is worth noting that the US House of Representatives yesterday voted by a slim majority (215 to 205) to block legislation enacted under President Obama which was designed to give consumers more control over how internet service providers share their data. The legislation in question effectively made the sharing of data by internet service providers conditional on user consent. The order blocking the legislation will now be sent to President Trump for ratification, which will no doubt be swiftly forthcoming. Continue reading