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back to article Hustinx: Nameless data can still be personal

A person does not have to be identifiable by name for details of their computer usage to be protected by data protection laws, a senior European privacy watchdog has warned. Companies which are unsure whether information such as activity or server logs or a record of internet protocol (IP) addresses are personal data or not …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
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    good application of common sense

    It seems like there are some good guys in Europe looking after us on privacy. It's a pity that they seem to be in the minority, though. Still, this is good news.

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Change Jacqui Smith

    Indeed it is personal, a name is just a label, any other label, or combination of data that represents a label can be used instead.

    "Jacqui Smith Home Secretary" is a label that identifies a person.

    That "nutjob that runs the Home Office" also identifies a person equally well even though it doesn't include a name.

    The protection, as ever, is to remove the problem from power. Discussing the logic of privacy doesn't eliminate the person who thinks privacy doesn't matter, (or judicial process or no search without cause, etc. etc..)

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  3. Anonymous Coward
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    IP address or cookies?

    Now that someone whose voice is being heard has made the remarkable discovery about IP addresses being used to link personal data, I hope that they start to look at cookies and how they personalise the data collected.

    The only reason cookies are used is to personalise the visitor to the website, so why is it so difficult to have a cookie classed as personal data under the law? Or, are all those marketing companies lying when they sell their tracking systems which enable so many sites to personalise the content presented to visitors based on earlier activity and choices.

    Just read the programming chapter on cookies to discover how personal they are.

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  4. Steve Swann
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    Is this another nail...

    ...in the coffin of Phorm, I wonder?

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    Weird

    If it's not the EU speaking sense and protecting us, then it's the (unelected) House of Lords.

    What is the world coming to? (and whatever happened to Government electoral accountability?)

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  6. Fluffykins Silver badge

    Phorm

    Made you look!

    Does this stuff things for Phorm/NebuAd etc?

    I know they don't collect your IP data, but they DO need to differentiate one target from another and issue one with a serial number.

    Interesting

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    @Weird

    "What is the world coming to? (and whatever happened to Government electoral accountability?)"

    I think we find out next spring don't we?

    Hope everyone here is registered and itching to vote.

    Paris : She knows what to do when an election comes up.

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