Additional Data Security Measure: Using the Blind Carbon Copy (Bcc) Field in Outlook

What is the Bcc field?

The Blind Carbon Copy or 'Bcc' field in Outlook allows you to send emails to more than one recipient without disclosing recipients’ email addresses to each other.

Why is the Bcc field important?

Under the GDPR, some email addresses may be considered personal data. For example, personal email addresses such as Gmail, Microsoft Hotmail or Yahoo accounts.

When contacting multiple members of the public, service users or clients in a single email, it is usually the case that the email addresses should not be disclosed to other recipients of the email.

This also applies to the content of the email. For example, if writing to multiple recipients of an email following an adoption enquiry, if the Bcc field is not used, all recipients of the email would know not only each other’s personal email addresses, but also the fact that they were enquiring about adoption.

This may seem unimportant but disclosing information accidentally or carelessly such as personal email addresses, or simply the nature of an email, can be distressing to recipients and a breach of the GDPR depending on the circumstances.

When should I use the Bcc field?

You should always consider whether the Bcc field needs to be used, especially if writing to multiple recipients outside of the council using their personal email addresses.

Where email addresses should not be disclosed to other recipients, you must put the recipients’ email addresses in the Bcc field.

I don't have the Bcc field, how can I set it up?

Please follow the instructions below to enable the Bcc field if you do not already have this:

• Instructions if you are using the Outlook App on your device 

  Step 1: Create a new email message or reply to or forward an existing message.

   

  Step 2: If the message opens in a new window, select Options > Bcc. If the message opens in the reading pane, select Bcc from the ribbon.

   

  

   

• Instructions if you are using Outlook in Chrome or Edge

  Step 1: Create a new email message or reply to or forward an existing message.

   

  Step 2: Select Options and make sure Show Bcc is ticked.

   

  

How to get help

If you have any queries or questions, please contact the ICT Service Desk or raise a ticket via the Halo system.