Peter MacIntyre, an information lawyer with OUT-LAW.COM, commented:
"Increasingly, businesses are recognising information as an asset of great value. However, if a business does not comply with the Act when processing personal information, the information can be forcibly taken away from it by the courts.
"For example, if a web site did not provide a suitable data proteciton notice when users first registered their details with the site, it could be forced to delete its databases, face criminal prosecution and have to re-collect data from scratch. Doing so could be a practical and financial nightmare."