The draft guidance that was developed following the Leveson Report’s recommendation that the Information Commissioner develops specific and comprehensive guidance on the application of the Data Protection Act to the press is now subject to public consultation. The final version of the guidance aims to help those working in the media to understand and comply with data protection law and good practice.
The deadline for responses to the consultation on the draft guidance is 22 April 2014. Further details can be found on the consultations section of the ICO website.
Announcing the start of the consultation the Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham said:
‘After speaking with journalists from a broad range of media outlets we are now inviting people from all areas of society to read our draft guidance on how the Data Protection Act applies to the media and provide us with their views. The guidance follows Lord Justice Leveson’s recommendations and aims to help journalists comply with the Act. This includes providing clear advice explaining how the existing exemption for journalism applies when working on stories that carry a clear public interest.’
The draft document follows a workshop held in September 2013 where journalists and editors from a broad cross-section of the media were invited to provide insight into journalistic processes and discuss how they interact with the Data Protection Act. The consultation will be supported by two further workshops with key stakeholder groups from within and outside the media industry in February.
