August

"Public authorities, police forces and members of the public are being asked to help uncover rogue private investigators, which could face fines of up to US$765,050 if they are found to have illegally accessed people's data.

A new campaign launched by the Information Commissioner, aims to uncover the extent of the problem after issues were highlighted during the Leveson inquiry and by the Home Affairs Select Committee. Information Commissioner Christopher Graham, says that the majority of private investigators act in compliance with the Data Protection Act, however there are less scrupulous professionals out there that may by trying to take shortcuts by illegally accessing people's data.

Some private investigators were also not meeting their obligations by failing to make sure the information they handled was accurate or that it was securely deleted once it was no longer required. Graham has now written to police forces, public bodies and private investigation firms asking them to report any concerns they have. ""By shining a light into the darkest corners of the private investigation industry, we are aiming to root out any criminal elements that continue to cause public concern and blight the professional reputation of their counterparts,"" said Graham."

A number of recent developments in relation to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and criminal records checks will affect employers, in particular the new update service being launched on 17 June. The new subscription service is intended to make the vetting process of job applicants faster and more straightforward for employers. It will allow individuals, subject to them having subscribed to the update service for an annual fee of ?13, to keep their DBS certificate up-to-date so they can take it with them when they move jobs or roles. There is no fee for volunteers. Employers will be able to carry out free, online, instant checks, known as status checks, to see if any new information has come to light since the certificate's issue, provided the same type and level of check is required, the individual has subscribed to the update service and has consented to the employer's check. To coincide with the launch of the update service, the DBS will only issue DBS certificates to the individual applicant, which will provide applicants with the opportunity to review and challenge any of the certificate's content before it is released to a registered body.

"The UK is the second most attractive country in the world, after the U.S., for high-flying professionals to move to. Research published today from recruitment firm Hydrogen shows the UK is rapidly establishing itself as a firm favourite among foreign workers, particularly within technology. The Global Professionals on the Move 2013 report, which surveyed more than 2,000 workers in 90 countries has shown that, despite the challenges within its economy and the tightening of immigration controls, the UK still has an attraction for professionals worldwide. The report found the majority of professionals have not yet caught up with shifting global economic realities. Their top preferences are still almost exclusively in the developing world. Two-thirds of those having relocated are men, which means women are losing out, and there will be insufficient women in the pipeline for more senior positions, many of which now require international experience. ""A lot of Europeans view the UK as a tech hub where you can work for exciting, fast-paced companies,"" said Dan Fox, managing director of technology practice at Hydrogen. ""We're seeing a lot of Europeans coming to work in the UK. It's all about wanting to work for the up-and-coming companies."""