The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) came into force on 25th May 2018, alongside the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Much has been written about it, both right and wrong.
The purpose of the DPA 2018 is nicely summarised by the Information Commissioner in her blog:
“The new Act updates data protection laws in the UK, and sits alongside the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) … The Act implements the EU Law Enforcement Directive, as well as extending domestic data protection laws to areas which are not covered by the GDPR.”
Part 2 of the Act supplements the GDPR i.e. it fills in some of the gaps by enacting “derogations”; where Members states are allowed to make their own rules e.g. about exemptions. This part has to be read alongside the GDPR.
Chapter 3 of Part 2 applies a broadly equivalent regime to certain types of processing to which the GDPR does not apply. For example, where personal data processing is related to immigration and to manual unstructured data (held by a public authority covered by FOI). The Act applies GDPR standards to such data whilst adjusting those that would not work in the national context.
Part 3 of the Act regulates the processing of personal data for law enforcement purposes implementing the Law Enforcement Directive (EU) 2016/680. The provisions here are a cut down version of GDPR. This part will only apply to competent authorities i.e. those that process personal data for the purposes of criminal offences or threats to public security e.g. the police, trading standards departments etc.
Read a full summary of the Act here.
What will happen to the Act and indeed GDPR post Brexit? Well this depends on whether we have a deal or no deal! More on our blog post here.
Act Now’s series of workshops on the DPA 2018 are proving very popular amongst GDPR practitioners. The next course in Belfast is fully booked. Forthcoming venues include London, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester. Our experts will explain the Act in detail in plain English busting some myths on the way and discussing what lies ahead in the post Brexit situation.
Book early to avoid disappointment. Click on the flyer below to see what we cover on the course.
Ibrahim Hasan is a solicitor and director of Act Now Training (www.actnow.org.uk)
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