Data Protection

[Vito]

Hi all

If I gave my laptop to someone to set something up for me, and they go into other areas and take copies of emails without my permission (although equally I didn't tell them that they couldn't)...is that against the law or is it just a bit naughty...i.e. can I prosecute them?

Vito

[Sockpuppet]

Depends.

At the best you'd get copyright theft on them. Data protection is your responsibility.

Your initals are not GG are you and your not talking about PC world?

[thunderlizard]

If you can prove that what he did was unauthorised, then it's against the Computer Misuse Act 1990. But it sounds like you'd find it hard to prove that.

[TheFaQQer]

So - what incriminating evidence have they found???

Sounds to me like someone slagged off the client, and got found out when they had their email read.

[DaveB]

Hi all

If I gave my laptop to someone to set something up for me, and they go into other areas and take copies of emails without my permission (although equally I didn't tell them that they couldn't)...is that against the law or is it just a bit naughty...i.e. can I prosecute them?

Vito

You gave him the PC and therefore granted him access to it. Nothing you can do under computer misuse.

Data Protection is your responsibility as the owner of that information. If the information was deemed to be covered by the act and you let the information become known by giving the guy your laptop without taking appropriate precautions then you are responsible.

You *might* have a case under the Human Rights act via the Right to Privacy but it's pushing it. If the laptop and email system that created them are owned by the client then you are probably stuffed. If they have their act together then they will have clauses in their usage policies that say they are allowed to read your emails anyway.