Date of response: 19 July 2024
We have now considered your request of 04 July 2024 for the following information:
I am writing to formally request specific information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 pertaining to the university's data protection policies and guidelines.
I want to request the following information:
Question 1. The university's current data protection policy.
Our response:
Our Data Protection Policy can be found here: a1cb9fbf-2c01-d2a3-b77c-3d15c55ef6ba (uea.ac.uk)
Question 2. Any guidelines or procedures related to data anonymization techniques used by the university.
Our response:
On this occasion it is not possible to provide any of the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any recorded information for any written guidelines or procedures for data anonymisation techniques used by the University.
Outside of the Act, we can tell you that while the University does have its own guidance for the handling, processing, and sharing of personal data, drafted in line with data protection law, this does not extend to specific guidelines or procedures regarding techniques or tools for anonymising data.
Information is available to staff via our intranet and in our and Information Classification and Data Management policy (provided in accompanying document, our ref: FOI_24-176 Appendix A).
Question 3. Any codes of conduct or best practice documents related to data protection that the university follows or has developed.
Our response:
Please see accompanying document, our ref: FOI_24-176 Appendix A, for our internal staff guidance, and Information Classification and Data Management Policy, and the following web page: Conditions of Computer Use - General Regulations - About (uea.ac.uk).
As noted in our response to question 2, all best practice is undertaken following the ICO’s guidance for public authorities as data controllers.