Legal Guidelines
Data Protection
Anyone processing personal data must comply with the eight enforceable principles of good practice. They say that data must be:
- fairly and lawfully processed;
- processed for limited purposes;
- adequate, relevant and not excessive;
- accurate;
- not kept longer than necessary;
- processed in accordance with the data subject's rights;
- secure;
- not transferred to countries without adequate protection.
Personal data covers both facts and opinions about the individual.
It also includes information regarding the intentions of the data controller towards the individual, although in some limited circumstances exemptions will apply.
With processing, the definition is far wider than before.
For example, it incorporates the concepts of 'obtaining', holding' and 'disclosing'.
Internet: Protection of Privacy
The Data Protection Act: A brief guide
The full explanation of the principles can be found here
The Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000
From 31st October 2000, the Distance Selling Regulations give new protection to consumers who shop by phone, mail order, on the internet, or digital TV:
- The right to receive clear information about goods and services before deciding to buy;
- Confirmation of this information in writing;
- A cooling off period of seven working days in which the consumer can withdraw from the contract;
- Protection from credit card fraud;
The new rules do not apply to:
- Construction and sale of property
- Financial services
- Vending machines and pay-phones
- Auctions
Parts of the new Regulations do not apply to:
- Regular deliveries of goods such as food or beverages
- Transport,accommodation, catering or leisure services provided on specific dates including Package Travel
Consumers cannot cancel an agreement or return goods for:
- Services which begin, with the consumer's agreement, before the end of the cancellation period
- Goods made to the consumer's personal specifications
- Goods which by reason of their nature cannot be returned or are liable to deteriorate rapidly (eg. flowers or fresh foods)
- Sealed audio or video recordings or computer software which have been opened by the consumer
- Newspapers, periodicals or magazines
- Betting, gaming or lottery services
A guide for business from the DTI (in PDF format)
The Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000: A brief guide
The full explanation of the principles can be found here
References
The information provided on these pages was taken from the following sites, please refer to them if you require further information:
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