Our lives, our privacy: the 40 items that shaped 40 years of privacy rights

What’s important to your privacy?

Whether it’s the details you share with your doctor, your bank, your supermarket or your phone, we all have information we expect be kept private.
Forty years ago, that expectation was set out in law.

Since 1984, the ICO has been responsible for overseeing the Data Protection Act and upholding your rights. We’ve witnessed a lot of change over the past 40 years, from the launch of social media to new laws giving you the right to access information. And yet, in many ways, very little has changed. The use of our personal information can either improve our lives or cause us harm.

We’ve created an exhibition of 40 items that tell a tale of how privacy has been at the centre of some of the biggest events over the past 40 years. They represent key moments when people’s right to privacy or access to information has been affected – positively or negatively – and we’ll explain the role we’ve played protecting your rights, whether or not you realised we were by your side.

See the exhibition in Manchester

From April 1 to June 30, we’ll be displaying the exhibition at Manchester Central Library. Our exhibition will be in the first floor exhibition space. Drop in and see the items that have shaped privacy today.

View the exhibition online

If you can’t make it to the physical exhibition, don’t worry! You can view the exhibition virtually on our website, including videos, quotes from people who were part of the story, and details of ways you can take greater control over your privacy.

Be part of the exhibition

Privacy is unique. It means something different to every one of us. There are things we're happy to share and things we like to keep private. There are technologies and services we trust and others that we are more suspicious of.

What item from the past 40 years would you add to our exhibition? We’d love to hear the stories behind the objects you put forward. Our empty plinth is waiting for your submissions.

Share your ideas with us on social media using this hashtag #OurLivesOurPrivacy