What is Processing?

"Processing" information includes obtaining, recording, organising, adapting, altering, retrieving, consulting, using, holding, disclosing, publishing, aligning, combining, blocking, erasing or destroying information. Anything you do with personal information is likely to be "processing". If you are entering personal information on a computer screen, then you are processing. If you are e-mailing personal information then you are processing. Consulting a card index is processing. Viewing a video where an individual can be identified e.g. CCTV in schools for security purposes is processing. Listening to a tape recording of an individual where the individual can be identified is processing.

The Data Protection principles say that personal information must be:

1. fairly and lawfully processed
2. processed only for specified and lawful purposes
3. adequate, relevant and not excessive
4. accurate and where necessary kept up to date
5. not kept any longer than necessary
6. processed in accordance with the data subject's rights
7. secure against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage
8. not transferred to any countries without an "adequate level of protection".