Published 2 Apr 2024

Data Protection Principles: What You Need to Know

By, Pulsant
Share

Stay updated

Pulsant insights and best practices delivered to your inbox.

The Data Protection Act controls the way your business collects, manages, and stores data – including the rights of your customers. This can include anything from the contact information of your customers submitted through online forms to the information gathered through cookies. 

But what are the data protection principles, how many are there, and what do you need to know about them?  

What are data protection principles?

The data protection principles are the UK GDPR regulations that businesses need to abide by for the lawful management and storage of sensitive and personal data. These are the strict rules that regulate the ways that businesses can access, store, and use the data they acquire. This ensures that all data held by businesses is used fairly and transparently, giving customers the human right to remove consent or adjust the ways in which their data is stored and used.  

How many data protection principles are there?

Both EU GDPR and the UK’s Data Protection Act set out seven policies for businesses to abide by. This is for the lawful processing of personal data obtained by businesses from their customers. These principles lie at the heart of the data protection regime and stand as important rules that all businesses within the United Kingdom need to follow.  

What are the seven data protection principles?

The seven principles of data protection are: 

  • Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency 
  • Purpose limitation 
  • Data minimisation 
  • Accuracy 
  • Storage limitation 
  • Integrity and confidentiality 
  • Accountability 

Legal protection can be stronger for more sensitive information, such as customer personal data and identification data including:  

  • Race 
  • Ethnic background 
  • Political opinions 
  • Religious beliefs 
  • Trade union membership
  • Genetics 
  • Biometrics (where used for identification) 
  • Health
  • Sex life or orientation