My advice would be to suggest to staff who are concerned about this to have
a "work" signature. When I sign letters, I do so very clearly, writing my
name. It's in my handwriting, I never get anyone else to sign my letters so
it is distinctive to me, it is my signature. However, it isn't the scrawl
which I use to sign my name in other contexts like credit cards. There are
two main advantages to this. One, whatever the risk of misuse might be (and
in these days of chip and pin, the risk may have diminished), my signature
on a Wigan Council letter isn't much use to a fraudster. The second
advantage is that when the recipient gets the letter, they can see my name
very clearly at the bottom and will instinctively reply to me. Unsigned
letters are impersonal, so I wouldn't advocate that, so people who are
concerned about these issues could consider this.
To answer Brenda's original question, I think a signature is personal data.
If a staff member routinely signs letters that are sent out to the public, I
don't think the signature should be removed because it is already put into
the public domain. On the other hand, if the person does not routinely sign
letters, there is a good argument that their signature can legitimately be
removed.
Regards
Tim Turner
Data Protection / FOI Officer
Legal and Property Services
Wigan Council
-----Original Message-----
From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nick Landau
Sent: Tue 16 January 2007 11:33
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [data-protection] Signatures (minor correction)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nick Landau" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 11:30 AM
Subject: Re: [data-protection] Signatures
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brenda Scourfield" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 11:17 AM
> Subject: [data-protection] Signatures
>
>
> Are signatures personal data ? If we provide copies of letters under FOI
> or DP, should the signature of the officer or person be blanked out ?
>
> One of our officers is concerned that his signature could be copied and
> used fraudulently.
>
> Nick's reply:
>
> One question would be is the signature already in the public domain - in
> which case, his concern is understandable but an FoI question would not
> elicit any more information than is otherwise available. (for instance do
> documents with his signature go to Planning Committee etc?)
>
> If you really wanted a copy of a council officer's signature then you
> write to them and presumably the response will have their signature.
>
> One could presumably argue that if a particular officer had a problem with
> this then it doesn't seem to me blanking out their signature would remove
> any information - after all it would have their name in print.
>
> I would have thought that this was the nature of being a public officer ie
> documents with your imprint on get published - if you don't want that you
> should be working in the public sector.
Of course, the last phrase should read:
"if you don't want that you should _not_ be working in the public sector"
>
> But equally any postman might say that they don't want to give their
> signature for the same reason.
>
> Nick Landau
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