June has been an exciting month on the Data Protection Made Easy podcast. We’ve invited several special guests, including experts from our team, and we’ve recently become IAPP-credited for CPE credits. 

Let’s not waste time – keep reading to discover the key takeaways from this month’s episodes. 

Data Protection Made Easy: June’s Rundown 

Episode 173: Freedom of Information – A Tool for Transparency

The UK GDPR and Freedom of Information Act 2018 (FOI or FOIA) empower individuals to access data and hold organisations accountable. Under the GDPR, data subjects can submit a subject access request (SAR) in exchange for copies of their personal data. 

FOI, instead, requests information held only by public authorities and is not personal to the individual. To learn more about the Act, we invited Laura Brentnall, our Support Desk Manager, to share her experiences with FOI requests, including some unusual experiences. 

As with SARs, FOI requests have their own legal framework, which must be followed to ensure compliance. Laura and the hosts discussed the exemptions behind refusing a request and how to streamline processes for a quicker response time.

Listen to episode 173 about infamous FOI request findings, like a local council paying a psychic for an exorcism (yes, you heard that right), and ways to develop a robust FOI policy. 

FOI Services at Data Protection People

Are you a public authority who’s struggling with FOI requests? Our new FOIA service is designed to help with just that. We can assist with complex results, develop an effective policy and provide ongoing FOIA training for your team. 

If you require both GDPR and FOI support, we recommend speaking with one of our data protection consultants. 

Episode 174: GDPR Radio – How Does Your Cookie Crumble?

In episode 174, we dived into the latest data protection news of the week, focusing specifically on cookie usage. As you know, cookie compliance can be hard to follow. There’s a lot to consider, from obtaining valid user consent to allowing them to withdraw at any time. 

In May, our hosts covered the UK GDPR and PECR requirements for using cookies—tune in to episode 168 now. This month’s episode extends our discussion on implementing tracking tools and a recent AI proposal by the NHS.

Want to learn more? Listen to episode 174 today. 

Episode 175: Data Protection in the Non-Profit Sector

The non-profit sector is not exempt from the UK GDPR. Charities handle lots of personal data, from fundraising campaigns to emails between support workers and vulnerable people. 

Due to the nature of their work, charities also process high-risk sensitive data, including health and financial information and data about sexual orientation. GDPR compliance is crucial here, so we invited Rebecca Wells, a Data Protection and Information Governance Manager at Sustrans, to share some insight. 

Rebecca touched on upholding data protection principles with limited resources and managing workloads effectively as a Data Protection Officer (DPO). Hear more from Rebecca in episode 175, or read our recent blog on why data protection is vital for charities. 

Episode 176: Emotional AI & Contradictory Case Law

We finished this month with an exciting review of emotional AI, which refers to AI-driven technologies that can sense, learn about and react to human emotional life. 

Will machines become more human? And do they have the power to “feel” emotion? Our hosts and special guest, Caine Glancy, Support Desk Team Leader, examine emotional AI’s possible applications and potential privacy concerns. 

We also explored the challenges of navigating data protection regulations amongst seemingly contradictory court rulings. Tune into episode 176 to learn more. 

In July, we will dive into Records of Processing Activities (RoPAs), PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and regular GDPR radio sessions. 

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