Earlier this month, Coutts, an elite bank used by the Royal Family, closed down politician Nigel Farage’s account triggering ministers to consider revising bank licenses to include more conditions.
The conversations around the revisions started after the former UKIP leader filed a subject access request that gave him access to a 40-page dossier about him.
The documents revealed that the bank had ended up cutting ties with him for “commercial” reasons and “reputational risks” given his political stance, for which the NatWest Group boss that owns Coutts has now apologised.
But, what exactly is a subject access request and how can a customer submit it?
Here is everything we know.
I now have evidence Coutts LIED to me..
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) July 18, 2023
In an explosive 40 page memo, “Brexit” is mentioned 86 times, “Russia” 144 & “PEP” 10.
Support for Trump + views on immigration, net zero & the vaccine are listed as reasons to exit me.
They say my account is commercially viable! pic.twitter.com/QjPCuUetu3
What is a subject access request?
Subject access requests (SARs) are a right offered to Brits via the Data Protection Act that was introduced in 1998.
It gives everyone the liberty to request a copy of all personal information an organisation has about them including reports and emails mentioning them, excluding certain exemptions.
In recent years, it is most often used by employees who take their employers to court as evidence of misconduct or prejudice, or by customers who believe their personal data has been mishandled.
It can also be used to see why a company has made a certain decision about you.
How to submit it
The GDPR law that came into effect in 2018 has meant that organisations can no longer charge those who submit a request unless it is “manifestly unfounded or excessive” or they want to reduce the deadline for responding from 40 days to a month. So, submitting a SAR is free for the majority of the time.
To file a subject access request, all you have to do is find the right department and/or staff member to get in touch with, such as a data protection officer, and inform them of the list of all the information you would like from the company in written or verbal format. It is advised that you do it via a written forum like emails or letters so that it is easier to keep track of everything.
In the request, include your full name, address, contact details, and any account numbers or further information that is relevant to your request.
It is also useful to mention that the law requires the company to get in touch with you and fulfil your request in a certain number of days and that you are now required to pay a fee under the Data Protection Act 2018.
