Access Assist is designed to help businesses of all kinds deal with requests for access to the personal data they hold, whether the requests are made by employees, customers or others.
The Data Protection Act gives individuals the right to be told what personal data an organisation is processing about them and to receive a copy of that information by making a data “subject access request”. Compliance with such requests can require business to undertake searches of large volumes of data, including email correspondence, which can result in massive costs. Requests are often received in connection with employee disputes or other litigation.
Failure to comply with requests can lead to complaints to the Information Commissioner’s Office and, potentially, fines of up to GBP500,000. Access Assist takes users through a series of factual questions to assist in determining if and to what extent a response is required, as well as providing supporting information on how to respond, including targeted summaries of legislation, case law and guidance.
Features include:
- Bite-sized summaries of relevant ICO guidance, case law and legislation
- Interactive Q&A-based response assistance tool
- Analysis of available exemptions
- Frequently asked questions
- Links to support materials
- Fee tables
The ICO have welcomed the App. Commenting, Deputy Information Commissioner David Smith said: “We congratulate Allen & Overy on the development of this app. The right of subject access is at the heart of the Data Protection Act. Any tool that makes it easier for businesses to understand and meet their obligations to those individuals they hold information about can only be welcomed.”
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