Guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office confirms that it is not a breach of data protection legislation for parents to take photographs of their children and friends at events such as school sports days.

Some schools have in the past prevented parents from taking pictures because they feared that it was a breach of the Data Protection Act. However, the guidance makes it clear that only photographs taken for official purposes, such as identity passes, are covered by the legislation. Photographs taken purely for personal use are exempt from the Act.

The guidance ‘Taking Photographs in Schools’ is available on the website of the Information Commissioner’s office at http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk