Other rights have been enhanced, such as an individual's right to claim compensation for breaches under the Act. This has now been extended to allow claims for damage caused by any breach of the new Act and associated distress. Data protection legislation requires a balance between protecting individuals' rights to privacy and the legitimate needs of business and other organisations to process personal information. The new Act strikes that balance. It enables people to protect their privacy.
Junk mail is one of people's biggest concerns.
The Act specifically allows individuals to prevent their personal details being used for direct marketing purposes. And, for the first time, individuals whose personal information is recorded manually will, in some cases, have a right to see that information and make corrections if necessary. The Data Protection Act 1998 implements an EU Directive and will help ensure equal data protection rights throughout the European Union. The Data Protection Act 1998 received Royal Assent on 16 July 1998. The Data Protection Act 1998 comes into force on 1 March 2000.