I’m not usually superstitious, but this Friday the 13th, I’m beginning to wonder if the protections that *should* be afforded by the laws of data protection and the concepts of privacy and confidentiality are on the brink of total destruction.
Sounds dramatic?
Well, consider the following – all things I’ve been involved in, or read about, in the last few days…
⁉ A local authority demanding details of the interactions between the victims of abuse and the organisation providing a safe place to live and support to those victims. Details that would disclose special categories of personal data about women who may well be living in fear for their lives and that of their children. And they’re demanding this information, and this level of detail, “to pass audit”, with seemingly no regard for the victims themselves.
⁉ Housing associations declaring, despite advice from their own data protection officers to the contrary (not to mention the advice in my book, and articles etc.), that they absolutely *must* collect data about their residents’ race/ethnicity, religious beliefs, and sexuality, even though they have no idea how to collect or use the data lawfully and safely. The claim is “the Regulator of Social Housing and/or Housing Ombudsman say we have to do it”. While I appreciate some of the language being used by both bodies could be interpreted this way, (incorrectly in my – hopeful – opinion) it still wouldn’t be legal under data protection law without substantial and robust data governance frameworks in place, which are lacking so far.
⁉ AI being lauded as “the solution” in social housing, without any clarity on what problems should be prioritised, and whether AI is actually the best tool, let alone an understanding of what we actually mean by the term “AI”. There’s so much talk of being AI-ready or AI-first; these might be the answer to a question, but what’s the question? For what purpose do we need to be AI-ready, or have an AI-first approach?
⁉ Meta have resumed their plans to use everyone’s data in their AI learning, but don’t worry, the ICO is “monitoring” the situation.
⁉ And last, but by no means least, parents at my children’s school still complaining (today) that we’ve not been told the reason a teacher was off long term sick…3 years ago…despite being reminded that it’s none of the parent’s business, and no, being an overworked and underpaid teacher does not make a person a public figure who loses some of their expectation of privacy.
It really is starting to feel like I’ve wandered into a dystopian film or novel where privacy and data protection have no meaning, and hardly anyone but me gives a damn.
I *know* I’m not the only one who cares about this, who cares about the rights and freedoms of people, but it can feel very lonely. Which is why I’m so passionate about bringing people together, to champion data protection, and the rights of individuals.
On Wednesday 2nd October, purpose-driven people will come together in the Midlands, to network, share and learn together, in engaging, friendly sessions designed to provide actionable insight to help you use data in a way that helps fulfil your purpose. See all the details of The Hive Live Data Conference here: https://cpdataprotection.com/hive-live/ But don’t wait too long to get your ticket – sales officially close on Monday 16th September!