Taking stock of the UK's data retention requirements

On the back of a recent extension of the UK's data retention requirements in April 2009, the Government has published the results of its consultation on Protecting the Public in a Changing Communications Environment . The consultation sought input from the public on proposals for further changes to the data retention obligations placed on companies that provide communications services. With growing concerns over the UK's surveillance society and high-profile policy initiatives that require storage of personal data such as the national DNA database and national identity cards, commentators are looking at the results of the consultation with great interest. This article digests the responses and the government's reaction to them in light of recent legislative changes, and seeks to assess the potential impact on database marketers and what the future may hold.