Each register entry includes the name and address of the data controller and a general description of the processing of personal data by a data controller. Individuals can consult the register to find out what processing of personal data is being carried out by a particular data controller.
Notification is the process by which a data controller's details are added to the register.
The Data Protection Act 1998 requires every data controller who is processing personal data to notify unless they are exempt. Failure to notify is a criminal offence. Every data controller who is processing personal data must notify unless they are exempt. A data controller is a person who determines the purposes for which and the manner in which any personal data are, or are to be processed. Personal data means data which relates to a living individual who can be identified from those data or from those data and other information which is in the possession of the data controller.