Data Protection duties not optional

Today's announcement by the Data Protection Commissioner that a leading Irish printing firm has been required to register with the Data Protection Commissioner is a timely reminder that the duty to protect personal data being processed by any organisation is not optional.

The printing company #333333;">RR Donnelley Document Solutions  was acting as a Data Processor for telecommunications providers who were Data Controllers. As such, under Section 16 of the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003, they were obliged to register with the Data Protection Commissioner.

While certain exemptions to the requirement to register with the Data Protection Commissioner exist, these are limited in their scope and are counter-balanced in the legislation by an equally clear list of activities which require registration.

"Today's announcement from the Commissioner is to be welcomed as it shows how important it is for organisations to make themselves aware of the exemptions to registration as well as the scenarios where registration would be mandatory", says Daragh O Brien, founder of Castlebridge Associates.

"Knowing your customer and how Data Protection regulations affect their processing of Personal Data is a key step in understanding your duties as a Data Processor", O Brien adds.

However, it is worth remembering that regardless of whether you are mandated to register with the Data Protection Commissioner or not, any organisation that is processing Personal Data must ensure compliance with the other aspects of Data Protection law.