
Rights of the Data Subject
Introduction
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act (2018), data subjects have certain rights in relation to how their own information is processed. Some of these rights existed previously, such as the right to rectification, some existed but have been amended, such as the right to subject access, and some are new rights bestowed upon individual’s, such as the right to data portability. This document will explain how the University abides by these rights and how a data subject invokes them, where appropriate.
In most instances, a request to invoke the majority of the rights under GDPR will be made to Lancaster University’s Information Governance Manager, who is also the nominated Data Protection Officer for the University.
Role of the Data Protection Officer
GDPR mandates that organisations must appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) if:
- they are a public authority;
- they carry out large scale systematic monitoring of individuals; or
- they carry out large-scale processing of special categories of data or data relating to criminal convictions and offences
As a public authority (as defined under the Freedom of Information Act 2000) Lancaster University has taken a view that it is required to appoint a Data Protection Officer.
The DPO’s minimum tasks are defined in Article 39 of GDPR:
- to inform and advise the organisation and its employees about their obligations to comply with the GDPR and other data protection laws
- to monitor compliance with the GDPR and other data protection laws, including managing internal data protection activities, advise on data protection impact assessment; train staff and conduct internal audits
- to be the first point of contact for supervisory authorities and for individuals whose data is being processed (e.g. staff, students, etc.)
Information Governance Manager
Lancaster University’s Information Governance Manager and designated Data Protection Officer is:
Mike Abbotts
Information Governance Manager
Lancaster University
Bailrigg
Lancaster
LA1 4YW
United Kingdom