Related external information

The Information Commissioner's Office.

ICO website

The Data Protection Act 1998 (the Act) regulates the use of 'personal data', essentially any information about identifiable living individuals. As a 'data controller' under the Act, we (the Financial Services Authority – the FSA) must comply with its requirements.

The records covered by the Act include all computer records and, since 1 January 2005, the Freedom of Information Act has extended the type of paper files that come within the Act for public bodies such as the FSA. So that any personal data kept in a paper file is now covered.

The Act's eight principles establish enforceable standards for obtaining, holding, using or disclosing information. The Act also requires appropriate security arrangements to be in place to protect personal data and gives individuals the right to access personal information held about them.

As part of our statutory obligations, we are required to register, or 'notify' the Information Commissioner annually of any processing of personal information. The notification covers all FSA activities that involve processing personal information. For more on this, please see our current notification on the Information Commissioner's website: FSA Notification to the Information Commissioner.

What personal information does the FSA hold?

We collect and use certain types of information about people we deal with as part of our regulatory functions. These include individuals within the regulated community, those who are proposing to join the regulated community and those who may have dealings with the regulated community, our own employees, suppliers and others we conduct business with. In addition, we may occasionally be required by law to collect and use certain types of information to comply with the requirements of government departments. For more information, please see the FSA Data Protection Policy statement [PDF].

Your rights

Under the Act you have the right to access your personal information (subject to certain exemptions). If you wish to find out what information, if any, we hold – or are processing – that relates to you, please complete a Subject Access Request Form [PDF]. A charge of £10 is made for such requests.

Want to know more?

If you have any queries, please email the FSA Information Access Team.