I think it’s fair to say that we all have been fined at least once for either parking or speeding. But there are moments when we think that the fine has been unfair or wrong. In this case, most of us would like to challenge the fine, but to do this, you need to go to court and then you will see all the evidence held against you. But if you see all that proof this late, you can’t turn back and quit challenging. 

 

Well, since 2018, when the European Union has implemented the General Data Protection Regulation, you are able to submit an official Subject Access Request to any company, council, police etc, and obtain a copy of all your data.

Based on the data protection law, in case you are fined (for parking, speeding etc), you can send a Subject Access Request (also known as SAR, for short) to them, by either phone, mail, or e-mail, get a copy of all your data, including all the evidence they have about you in their system, that will also be used as proof in court in case of a challenge, and then decide whether they are right or you can proceed with your challenge and go to court. By submitting a Subject Access Request before, you will save a lot of time, money and embarrassment, and you will be 100% sure whether to challenge a fine or not.

 

Since we’re talking about Subject Access Request and data held about the government or police, we have more to talk about.

On our research we found that the police and councils around the country collect the following information about individuals:

• personal details (such as name, address and biographical details)

• family, lifestyle and social circumstances

• Employment, education and training details

• racial or ethnic origin

• political opinions

• religious or other beliefs of a similar nature

• trade union membership

• physical or mental health or condition, both declared and suspected

• sexual life or sexual orientation

• offences (including alleged offences)

• criminal proceedings, outcomes and sentences

• physical identifiers (including DNA, fingerprints and other genetic or biometric samples)

• sound and visual images (e.g. from body worn cameras, CCTV or drone footage)

• financial details

• goods or services provided

• licences or permits held (e.g. driving licences or firearms certificates)

• criminal intelligence

• information identifying user vulnerability, persistent targeting, and/or hate crime status

• references to manual records or files

• information relating to health and safety

• complaint, incident, and accident details

• opinions and assessments of officers and staff in relation to individuals dealt with

 

All this information is collected through different methods for all kinds of reasons. Let’s look at the methods used to collect data:

• individuals who visit the website and interact with it (including by filling in and submitting forms), and their relatives, guardians and other persons associated with them

• businesses (including security companies, and other supplies of goods and services, including processors) and other private sector organisations working with the police in anti-crime strategies

• voluntary sector organisations

• local authorities, national and local government departments and agencies (including the Home Office, HM Revenue and Customs, and private safeguarding agencies)

• other law enforcement agencies and bodies (including international ones)

• partner agencies involved in crime and disorder strategies

• legal representatives, prosecuting authorities, courts, and prisons

• licensing authorities

• approved organisations and people working with the police

• ombudsmen and regulatory bodies (including the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services)

• auditors

• Police and Crime Commissioners

• emergency services

• current, past or prospective employers of individuals

• healthcare, social and welfare advisers or practitioners

• education, training establishments and examining bodies

• business associates and other professional advisors

• their employees, agents, and other temporary and casual works

• persons making enquiries or complaints

• financial organisations and advisors, and credit reference agencies

• survey and research organisations

• trade, employer associations; and professional bodies

• the media

• their own CCTV systems and body worn cameras

 

As you can see there is a lot of information gathered, processed and even shared (sold) to third parties, and it is scary.

The good news in all of this is that you can take back control over your data. All you have to do is get in touch with us, and we’ll provide all the help and support you need.

 

#keepitprivate #dataprivacy #dataprotection