Council’s Against Data Discrimination: Model Council Motion

Council Motion on Stopping Data Discrimination:
Council Notes:

– That UK GDPR, and the Data Protection Act 2018 protects individuals from harmful or discriminatory uses of their data. It does so by imposing a duty on organizations to use people’s data in a legal, transparent, and fair way.

– That without GDPR students couldn’t stop unfair algorithms from grading their A-levels and workers couldn’t challenge rob-dismissals. Victims of sexual violence would be subject to digital strip searches by Police and job applicants would face racist automated recruitment tools.

– That the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has proposed a new Data Protection and Digital Information Bill that seeks to water down the strong protections that UK GDPR provides.

– That a coalition of civil society groups lead by the Open Rights Group have expressed concern for the erosion of UK data rights.

Council Believes:

– Government plans to water down UK GDPR privacy laws will unleash data discrimination against workers, children, students and vulnerable groups like migrants, victims of violence and minorities.

– That upholding the data rights of residents within [Insert Local Authority Area] is an important legal and moral duty of the authority.

Council therefore calls for:

– The Chief Executive and Leader of the Council to write on behalf of the Council to Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport expressing concerns at plans to water down the data rights of UK citizens.

– The authority to give it’s support to the Open Rights Group’s campaign to ‘Stop Data Discrimination’.

– The Chief Executive to work to ensure the authority strives to abide by the highest standards of data protection, cybersecurity, and to protect the data rights of all local residents.