There's been a vigorous debate recently about data in financial services and who it belongs to.

At the Vendorcom conference last month it featured high on the list of concerns especially as more and more technologists are developing apps and services that specifically look at using data.

I've long been bemused by the fact that the credit companies can collect my data and sell access to it and make a lot of money and then charge me to access my own data.  That clearly can't be right nor can is be sustainable.

The EU is clearly of the view that my data belongs to me and that to access it and use it requires my permission.  However, this throws up problems of its own.  How do I know who is using my data?

In an article written in 2011, Alistair Croll wrote; 'We willingly embrace this "Big Data" world. We share, friend, check in and retweet our every move. We swipe loyalty cards and enter frequent flyer numbers. We leave a growing, and apparently innocent trail of digital breadcrumbs in our wake.'

More recently Mark James discussed the GDPR impact on data ownership and he said; 'The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will force companies to take a lot more care in the way they collect, store and analyse personal data. It may also prompt individuals to really think about what levels of data they are happy to provide, what the true value of this data might be and who it belongs to.'

The debate is still ongoing and has yet to be resolved, but it is clear that it isn't clear at all and will require further clarification from the regulatory authorities.

If you are interested in knowing what data is held by companies and government in the UK covered by the Data Protection act, then follow these simple guidelines and you'll soon know.