What personal information is avalable, who provides it(source) and who can access it?

Doublespresso

I hope this is the right place to ask this question.

As one applies for credit, attempts to rent a home, buy a mobile phone, apply for a job or even buy something online, more and more companies now do checks on you as an individual.

I was wondering whether there is a detailed and definitive guide to explain:

What personal info is available? (e.g. name, address, D.O.B, Nationality, marital status, etc)
Where is this info stored/collected? (e.g. Electoral Roll, Credit Reference Agencies, etc)
What is the source of the info? (e.g. Local Authority, the individual provided the info, Land Registry, Banks, Comapnies House, etc)
Who can access this info? (e.g. Banks, Law Enforcement Agencies, Companies, etc)

I would really appreciate any input from people here who are in the know.

4743hudsonj

Doublespresso wrote: »

I hope this is the right place to ask this question.

As one applies for credit, attempts to rent a home, buy a mobile phone, apply for a job or even buy something online, more and more companies now do checks on you as an individual.

I was wondering whether there is a detailed and definitive guide to explain:

What personal info is available? (e.g. name, address, D.O.B, Nationality, marital status, etc)
Where is this info stored/collected? (e.g. Electoral Roll, Credit Reference Agencies, etc)
What is the source of the info? (e.g. Local Authority, the individual provided the info, Land Registry, Banks, Comapnies House, etc)
Who can access this info? (e.g. Banks, Law Enforcement Agencies, Companies, etc)

I would really appreciate any input from people here who are in the know.

Databases are usually created by private companies buying information off other companies and government bodies like the electoral role.

192.com is a scary prospect as anybody who is willing to pay the small fee can find pretty much anything about you, even down to who your neighbours are.

Its impossible to protect yourself from this, or at least, highly impractical.

dmg24

You would be best to start at the website of the Information Commissioner. Your question is wide open - is there something more specific that you need to know?

Doublespresso

4743hudsonj wrote: »

Databases are usually created by private companies buying information off other companies and government bodies like the electoral role.

192.com is a scary prospect as anybody who is willing to pay the small fee can find pretty much anything about you, even down to who your neighbours are.

Its impossible to protect yourself from this, or at least, highly impractical.

I had a look at 192.com and it really is amazing to see the amount of info they can collect about an individual.

What is scary IMO is that this data is open to abuse.
I feel that current regulation is in urgent need of revision.

It's interestig to note that an individual doesn't own the info collected about themselves, although he/she may have the right to get access to it and get it corrected if necessary (althouh often one doesnt even know what data is held about them and where it is)

TonyMMM

When I'm about to recruit/interview someone....I find Facebook is a very revealing place to look - quite amazing what info people will give away about themselves there !

zppp

Doublespresso wrote: »

I had a look at 192.com and it really is amazing to see the amount of info they can collect about an individual.

What is scary IMO is that this data is open to abuse.
I feel that current regulation is in urgent need of revision.

It's interestig to note that an individual doesn't own the info collected about themselves, although he/she may have the right to get access to it and get it corrected if necessary (althouh often one doesnt even know what data is held about them and where it is)

You may want to have a look st 192's privacy policy;

http://www.192.com/misc/privacy-policy/

It states how they obtain the information to put onto the website.

Doublespresso

zppp wrote: »

You may want to have a look st 192's privacy policy;

http://www.192.com/misc/privacy-policy/

It states how they obtain the information to put onto the website.

Thanks for this, it is quite revealing...

If only there was a definitive guide about how ALL info is collected by the various bodies.

I think that we, as consumers/citizens are lulled into thinking that our private information is safe and secure and can only used by the people who are authorised to do so, alas, this is not the case.