Google apps for edu- freedom of information act request

[philjones2000]

Hi

 

We use google apps for education for email here- but we have had a Freedom of Information act request for emails concerning a particular person

 

How do we go about doing this!? It seems like I'd have to search manually through everyone's inbox??? And where does that leave their/my data protection?

 

Phil

[AngryTechnician]

Not sure on the technical procedure, but as for Data Protection, this is covered by a section 40 exemption from disclosing

information about identifiable individuals where it would breach the Data Protection Act.

 

Basically, if there is a risk of personal information about someone other than the FoI subject being released, that normally* trumps FoI, so you will either need to redact or withhold that piece of correspondence.

 

* There are conditions where this isn't the case, guidance available here: http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/guidance_index/~/media/documents/library/Freedom_of_Information/Practical_application/APPLYING_SCHEDULE_CONDITION_V1.ashx

[philjones2000]

:-) Thanks for the reply

 

Apparently this is a data protection act request... What confuses me is that I surely can't access other people's email as that would break their data protection...

[CyberNerd]

ExamplesAccountAuditing - google-apps-manager - GAM Account Auditing Commands - Dito Google Apps Manager - Google Project Hosting

 

 

GAM now gives admins the ability to audit users accounts using the newly announced Google Apps Audit API. With Auditing, you can monitor current emails and chats to and from a user, you can get an user activity log showing login, login failures and logouts for the past 30 days and you can export a user's mailbox for discovery purposes.

 

[CyberNerd]

What confuses me is that I surely can't access other people's email as that would break their data protection...

 

It would do if they hadn't already accepted the fact when they signed you AUP that you reserve the right to do so.

[Achandler]

For the DPA to apply, it means the person who sent the emails has to be requesting the data which is an odd thing to do anyway...

[Domino]

For the DPA to apply, it means the person who sent the emails has to be requesting the data which is an odd thing to do anyway...

 

No, if an email holds data about you, regardless of who the sender and receiver were, you can request it under the DPA

 

Access Your Personal Information - Subject Access Request - ICO

[detjo]

------ Edited October 18, 2012 by detjo
deleted