LIVE FROM LONDON: Using Data? Think First
The much-discussed Data Protection Act isn’t a barrier to the exploitation of new technologies or the use of personal data. But it is, says Elizabeth France, “a barrier to using data without using your brain first.”
France, the U.K.’s information commissioner, addressed attendees of the International Direct Marketing Fair, here, Tuesday during a keynote presentation on the act, which stipulates what marketers can and can’t do with consumer data in the European Union.
She described the Data Protection Act as “good common sense enshrined in a law,” adding that the mandate for marketers here can be boiled down to a simple principle. “The law and citizen’s interests have to run parallel. Process data in a way that respects the rights of your customer to a private life.”
A source of confusion for marketers here is the fact that the law does not cover the use of e-mail or text messaging, which has huge potential given the penetration of wireless devices in the U.K.
“The gestation period of legislation in the United Kingdom and the EU can’t keep up with technology,” she admitted. “Yes, the law is complicated, but find me a piece of U.K. law that isn’t.”
Some DMers here are upset about legislation that will limit access to the electoral rolls, allowing people to opt out of having their name rented if they so choose. France expressed amusement about this, explaining that DMers always say they want to mail to targeted audiences in a one-to-one manner. “Then they complain that they can’t mail to all and sundry.”
“Focus your attention on where you collect personal data in the first place,” France said. “How does it get into your organization. Tell people what you’re are going to do with their data when you collect it. Then, a lot of your problems disappear downstream.”
