What does ‘data protection’ mean?

Everyone has the right to the protection of their personal data. This is called data protection. Data protection protects people’s personal data from leaking to everyone on the internet. It also prevents people from passing themselves off as someone else by using another person’s name, photos or other information.

When a child participates in a hobby activity, such as dancing class, the scouts or football practice, the club or association organising the hobby processes the child’s personal data. The club or association has to process personal data carefully. It needs to make sure that all personal data are kept safe and out of outside hands

A register means lists of data, such as a list of club members and their contact details maintained by a sports club. A register contains personal data. A controller, such as a sports club, can also have a register of the club’s employees.

‘Processing’ means everything that the hobby organiser does with the participants’ information. For example, collecting data, storing data and disclosing data to others are all forms of processing. When a child signs up for a team and gives their name and contact details to the coach, the team is processing the child’s personal data. The team is also processing personal data when it stores the data on a computer or discloses it to a website where results are published. It also counts as processing when a coach asks a player about their allergies, so that the team can get nut-free snacks for away games, for example.