The U.K. privacy white paper 1975

ABSTRACT

It is now some years since the formation of the Younger Committee, set up to study the question of Privacy and its protection as it related to the private sector. The Committee published its report in 1972. Shortly after the Younger Committee was set up, an interdepartmental working party was set up within central Government to study the problem as it related to the public sector. This working party's report has now been issued along with a Government White Paper, which makes specific proposals for action in the computer field. In the meantime other countries, including the U.S., have taken significant steps in the direction of defining Privacy and introducing data protection procedures.

REFERENCES

• 1: Report of the Committee on Privacy, 1972, H.M.S.O. Cmnd 5012.
• 2: Computers: Safeguards for Privacy, 1975, H.M.S.O. Cmnd 6354.
• 3: Computers and Privacy, 1975, H.M.S.O. Cmnd 6353 (the White Paper, i.e., a statement of Government Policy).
• 4: The Application of Computer Technology for Development, Second report of the Secretary-General, 1973 U.N. Sales No. E.73 II.A.12 para. 50, p. 73. See also First report of the Secretary-General 1971 U.N. Sales No. E.71.II.A.1 paras. 214--7, pp. 73--4.
• 5: A. Borodin, Social Issues in Computing, Academic Press, Inc., Orlando, FL, 1973
• 6: International Social Science Journal, XXIV, 3, 1972, pp. 413--602, published by Unesco. See also Ref. 2, paras 69--85. For the position in France see 'Report of the Commission on Liberties and the Computer to the Lord Chancellor, 1975, Documentation Française.
• 7: Official Secrets Act 1911, available from H.M.S.O.
• 8: Report of a Departmental Committee on S.2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911, 1973, H.M.S.O. Cmnd 5104.
• 9: Swedish Data Act 1973; for commentary in English on its provisions see Current Sweden, Swedish Institute No. 4, July 1973.
• 10: Turn, Rein, Cost Implication of Privacy Protection in Databank Systems, 1975, Rand Corporation, p. 5321. See also EDP Analyser for November/December 1975, particularly December, p. 11, and 'The Cost of Privacy,' Goldstein, R. C., 1975, published by Honeywell Information Systems Inc.