Behind the firewall: Claire Archibald

My journey into data protection in education stemmed from experiences with children’s privacy. As a Brownie leader, I remember my young Brownies requesting to connect on Instagram. Soon, I realized these kids were taking photos at school and posting them without any awareness of the privacy implications. Children today adopt technology at a pace that makes adults seem like Luddites. It’s fascinating, but also a bit terrifying—young people, so vulnerable, have almost no control over their data.

The turning point in my career was around 2016-2017, with the emergence of GDPR. Initially, my colleagues didn’t take it seriously, thinking data protection would pass as a fad. But I was adamant that privacy regulations were here to stay. Over time, my commitment to data protection grew, and eventually, the local authority invited me to address all the ‘awkward questions’ I’d been asking. That solidified my path. Data protection is not just a profession for me; it’s a passion, especially for those who are most vulnerable.

A story that illustrates the risks involves a family member who, due to a neurological disease, was persuaded to buy an expensive “miracle” cure online. They genuinely believed these ads were divine answers. Situations like this show that data protection isn’t abstract. It can prevent very real harms—sometimes nuanced but impactful—beyond the typical data breach scenarios.

In my new role, I’m shifting focus. Instead of handling everything for schools as an outsourced DPO, I aim to empower them to manage their own data protection, integrating it seamlessly into their routines. I believe we can move from seeing compliance as a burdensome cost to a fundamental, everyday practice.”

Looking to the future, I worry about the endless accumulation of data. Just because we can store vast amounts digitally doesn’t mean we should. Digital data is weightless to us, but it’s costly both financially and environmentally. We’re piling up these ‘digital haystacks,’ which makes finding valuable insights more difficult. I’m also concerned about how technology impacts children. Schools expect kids to engage with tech tools that track every click and keystroke, yet society criticizes the same tech use outside of school. This dissonance highlights a deep societal conflict that we need to resolve.

As we move forward, we need to recognize that data protection isn’t just a checkbox. It’s about respecting people’s dignity and autonomy in an increasingly digital world."

Claire Archibald is a legal director at Browne Jacobson, specialising in data protection and information governance in education, with a strong passion for children’s and staff privacy in schools.