Lib Dems call for data guardians in public and private sector to protect information rights

Lib Dems call for data guardians in public and private sector to protect information rights

The Liberal Democrats say they want to create "data guardians" to protect the information rights of citizens.

The proposal is part of a strategy to safeguard personal data in the wake of successive government data protection failures, not least the loss of computer disks at HMRC containing the personal information of 25 million people.

Under the Liberal Democrat plan, data guardians and other staff with specific responsibility for data security would be introduced into the public and private sectors.

They would provide an independent voice and ensure that the rights of individuals were given adequate protection, said the party.

In addition, as part of the overall data protection strategy, funding for the UK Information Commissioner would double.

The Commissioner would also be given new investigative powers to conduct spot checks on data controllers, as well as being charged with ensuring the regulatory system keeps pace with technological changes.

The Liberal Democrats would also require public sector organisations to conduct "Privacy Impact Assessments" when developing new e-governance projects.