The new Data Protection Act, which provides for the protection of individuals against violation of their privacy and personal integrity, came into force yesterday.

The law, which had been unanimously passed through parliament in December 2001, gives the citizen full protection rights when information is demanded by third parties.

The law will, for example, give the citizen specific safeguards if a government department requests particular information from another department which can subsequently be used against that citizen.

Data Protection Commissioner John Mamo said the new law brings Malta in line with other modern countries in this field.

The law shall not apply, among others, when operations are being processed for public security, defence, state security, important taxation matters and activities of the state in areas of criminal law.

Sensitive data may also be processed for health and hospital care purposes, provided it is necessary for issues such as medical diagnosis.

The controller of personal data, at the request of the data subject, shall provide to the data subject, without excessive delay and without expense, written information as to whether personal data concerning the data subject can be processed.

The new regulations lay down that the commissioner shall encourage the drawing up of a suitable code of conduct to be applicable to journalists and to the media to regulate the processing of any personal data.

The code of conduct shall provide appropriate measures and procedures to protect the data subject.

The Notification and Fees (Data Protection Act) Regulations 2003 also came into force yesterday, whereby notification to the Office of the Commissioner for Data Protection is to be made as follows:

Where automated processing operations of personal data are underway on July 15, 2003, notification shall be made by April 15, 2004.

Where processing operations of data held in manual filing systems is underway on July 15, 2003, notification shall be made by October 24, 2007.

For processing operations initiated after July 15, 2003, notification shall be made as from July 15, 2003.