Another data protection question

[Speicher]

Last October I went to a School Reunion. I recall that we were asked to give "permission" for our e-mail addresses to be circulated, but the organiser of the Reunion seemed to think that circulating everyone's addresses to everyone else might still contravene some part of the Data Protection Law.

E mails about the date, venue etc, were sent "blind", is that the expression, so that no-one saw other people's e mail addresses.

Hypothetically, if someone wanted to send e-mails with all the details on them, do we need special permission from each person?

I can also see that having organised the venue, and an excellent lunch, the three people who organised it might be hoping that some one will take up the circulation of further information.

Can anyone briefly explain how the relevant laws affect this type of communication? If I wanted to contact everyone on the list, how are the original organisers affected if they pass on to me all the addresses of the participants.

I hope I have explained this well enough for you to understand what I am trying to find out. I would like to avoid reading 93 paragraphs with 300 sub-sections in legalese, on the relevant White Paper.

 

[XmisterIS]

It depends how the permission was asked for. Had you agreed to your information being passed to selected third parties (e.g. the little box you tick or not on questionnaires), then they can do as they please with your email address.

If you had only given permission for your email address to be used by them to contact you, and not to be passed to any other party, then they must send out all bulk emails by BCC (which is what it would appear they have done).

If you want some great bed-time reading (because it is guaranteed to send you to sleep), have a look at this: http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/data_protection.aspx http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/data_protection.aspx

 

[Speicher]

We did not tick boxes or sign any agreement etc. We were just asked on the day to write our email addresses on a list. They already had our email addresses, but they thought this would be a way of "giving permission".

If I decided to take over keeping up to date with people's email addresses, presumabley they would have to BCC the request to everyone, to ask if they could pass the details to me.

 

[XmisterIS]

What you've described is a bit of a grey area AFAIK. That's because all you did was write down your email addresses - the permission to send out emails is a verbal contract.

If you want to be very black-and-white about it, I would suggest that they BCC everyone and ask something like:

1) Do you consent to Speicher having your email address?

2) Do you consent to receiving mail from her regarding further reunion and related events?

3) Do you consent to everyone else on the list knowing your email address? (if they say "no", then stick them in a BCC list, otherwise stick them in a CC list for future mailshots).

 

[Speicher]

Thank you ever so. That was the simple clarification that I was looking for.