The Data Protection Act (DPA) is a
United Kingdom Act of Parliament. It defines a legal basis for the handling in the UK of information relating to living people. It is the main piece of legislation that governs
protection of personal data in the UK. Although the Act does not mention
privacy, in practice it provides a way in which individuals can enforce the control of information about them. Most of the Act does not apply to domestic use, for example keeping a personal address book.
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