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Advice Needed re Data Protection Issue

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  • 06-09-2010 11:36pm
    #1
    LilMrsDahamsta
    Registered Users Posts: 451 ✭✭


    Today, two photocopied pages were shoved through our front door. One contained details of an upcoming local council election, the second a list of the full names and house numbers of all over 18's in the estate. I have to admit I was absolutely stunned! We've lived here for less than two months so far and to the best of our knowledge neither of us have given our contact details to this organisation and we certainly never wished our names and address to be circulated to everyone in the area without our permission.

    I realise that the damage is now done - our names and address are out there for anyone to misappropriate as they choose. My question is, what avenues are open to me to complain about this and to avoid a recurrence in the future? I read the complaints section of the Data Protection Commissioner's website, but they suggest approaching the organisation in question as a first step. As we are only very recently arrived in the area, I am reticent to complain directly to the organisation concerned. The only contact details I can find for them are a "localparish@xmail.com" style address and I do not know who receives the emails. Is there any way I can make a complaint without contacting the organisation in question first? And can it be done anonymously, or at least in such a way that they will not be told who is making the complaint?

    Many thanks for reading.


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    #2
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    LilMrsDahamsta wrote: »
    Today, two photocopied pages were shoved through our front door. One contained details of an upcoming local council election, the second a list of the full names and house numbers of all over 18's in the estate. I have to admit I was absolutely stunned! We've lived here for less than two months so far and to the best of our knowledge neither of us have given our contact details to this organisation and we certainly never wished our names and address to be circulated to everyone in the area without our permission.

    I realise that the damage is now done - our names and address are out there for anyone to misappropriate as they choose. My question is, what avenues are open to me to complain about this and to avoid a recurrence in the future? I read the complaints section of the Data Protection Commissioner's website, but they suggest approaching the organisation in question as a first step. As we are only very recently arrived in the area, I am reticent to complain directly to the organisation concerned. The only contact details I can find for them are a "localparish@xmail.com" style address and I do not know who receives the emails. Is there any way I can make a complaint without contacting the organisation in question first? And can it be done anonymously, or at least in such a way that they will not be told who is making the complaint?

    Many thanks for reading.
    short answer is probably no as they will always have the right to know their accuser, so i would approach them directly and ask where they got your details and why they distributed same without your permission and see what response they offer.

    as new "residents/parishoners" they will not want you to see them as an organisation that partakes in any sort of dodgey practices so will probably apologise unreservedly with assurances that your details will be taken from any database or mailing list


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    #3
    jimoc
    Registered Users Posts: 634 ✭✭✭jimoc


    Have you registered to vote at that address, because isn't all that info available in the register of voters for anyone to see?


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    #4
    Gamesnash.ie: Pat
    Company Representative Posts: 2,957 ✭✭✭Gamesnash.ie: Pat


    Sounds to me like there were distributors sent out to target particular houses - that info is most likely electoral register info and the distributors were told to post only into houses with people registered to vote there. They may have acccidently posted this sheet into your letter box. Did your neighbours get the same sheet or just yourselves ?


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    #5
    LilMrsDahamsta
    Registered Users Posts: 451 ✭✭LilMrsDahamsta


    Gamesnash.ie: Pat wrote: »
    Sounds to me like there were distributors sent out to target particular houses - that info is most likely electoral register info and the distributors were told to post only into houses with people registered to vote there. They may have acccidently posted this sheet into your letter box. Did your neighbours get the same sheet or just yourselves ?

    It seems everyone got the same list, so the distribution was not an accident. Even if they did get the information from the electoral register, it just doesn't seem right to me that they're going around giving the information out to everyone in the area without getting people's permission to do so. I guess I'll just have to live with it as there seems to be no identifiable person to make a complaint to and no means of making an anonymous complaint to the organisation as a whole.


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    #6
    Gamesnash.ie: Pat
    Company Representative Posts: 2,957 ✭✭✭Gamesnash.ie: Pat


    That's very bizarre. :confused: In what context were the names listed.


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    #7
    RangeR
    Registered Users Posts: 7,265 ✭✭✭RangeR


    LilMrsDahamsta wrote: »
    there seems to be no identifiable person to make a complaint to and no means of making an anonymous complaint to the organisation as a whole.

    I'll be honest... Even if I had only moved in a day ago, I would be complaining to them and by no means anonymously. That sort of mailing is not on.


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    #8
    Counter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭Counter


    this is weird, who were the organisation?


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    #9
    LilMrsDahamsta
    Registered Users Posts: 451 ✭✭LilMrsDahamsta


    Gamesnash.ie: Pat wrote: »
    That's very bizarre. :confused: In what context were the names listed.

    It was a list of people eligible to be nominated to represent the estate on the local village council - any resident over 18 years.


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    #10
    TeaServer
    Registered Users Posts: 157 ✭✭TeaServer


    I have heard of this happen before in a local parish.

    The register of Electors is available for anyone to inspect and get printed copies of. It will list all people living within an electoral area that is eligible to vote. (over 18 and registered name & address)

    See section 9 in the PDF.

    http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/Voting/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,1897,en.pdf

    From section 9 of the PDF above:
    "Since the requirement to publish both a full and edited register from 1 November 2004, it is an offence to use details on the full register for anything other than an electoral or other statutory purpose."

    If the locals are using it for a 'statutory purpose' its all above board. Anyone has access to this information at any time, so its not as if the information is confidential, but perhaps misused.

    /T


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    #11
    antoinolachtnai
    Registered Users Posts: 9,799 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    It might not be strictly within the law, it is arguable, but it is probably ok. If someone were to use the information for some other purpose, they would probably be committing an offence. The reality is that this is public information, anyone who wants it can go to the local post office and see it.


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