A solicitor is warning companies to address the issue of privacy and data protection.

John Barker from Last Cawthra Feather in Bradford says the issue is serious.

He said: "The advent of e-commerce has meant that the issue of privacy is a serious one, which busin-esses must address now.

"The misuse of people's credit card details, personal information and issues concerning email content, have various legal and criminal implic-ations. The general public is becoming more and more concerned and increasingly wary of what might happen to their personal data after it is fired off into cyber-space following an online purchase or inform-ation request."

He said: "Unfortunately, res-earch has found that these privacy statements are ineffectual as they do not comply with the stringent provisions and statutory obligations imposed by the Data Protection Act 1998.

The legislation states if personal data is disclosed, the receiving party should do everything it can to inform the client or customer of how that data will be used.

Mr Barker added: "To ensure comp-liance with the 1998 Act, businesses must carry out a review of their website operation, together with any privacy statement or data protection policy currently being operated."