Estate agent prosecuted for offence under the Data Protection Act

http://ow.ly/7Qv2P

This is an article posted on the ICO.com website, no author credit is provided.

The article discusses a prosecution for violation of the UK's Data Protection Act.

The article states, "The Data Protection Act 1998 requires every organisation or person who is processing personal information in an automated form to notify, unless they are exempt. Failure to notify is a criminal offence and could lead to a fine of up to £5,000 in a Magistrates Court, or unlimited fines in a Crown Court."

The article further mentions, "Assistant Commissioner for Wales, Anne Jones, said:


“Registering as a data controller is a basic legal requirement of the Data Protection Act. The fee for most businesses is £35 a year. Merfyn Pugh Estate Agents’ failure to register – even after being prompted to do so by the ICO – has cost them much more today. The message behind today’s prosecution is clear – ignore warnings and you too could end up in court.”"