Tag: Reform

The Data Protection and Digital Information (No.2) Bill: How will it change the UK GDPR?

On 8th March 2023, the UK Department for Science, Information and Technology (DSIT) published the Data Protection and Digital Information (No.2) Bill (“the new Bill”). If enacted, it will make changes to the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (“PECR”).

According to the DSIT press release, the Bill will result in a “new common-sense-led UK version of the EU’s GDPR [and will] will reduce costs and burdens for British businesses and charities, remove barriers to international trade and cut the number of repetitive data collection pop-ups online.” It also claims that the reforms are “expected to unlock £4.7 billion in savings for the UK economy over the next 10 years.” How this figure has been calculated is not explained but we have been here before! Remember the red bus?

How did we get here?

This is the second version of a bill designed to reform the UK data protection regime. In July 2022, the Government published the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (“the previous Bill”). This was paused in September 2022 so ministers could engage in “a co-design process with business leaders and data experts” and move away from the “one-size-fits-all’ approach of European Union’s GDPR.” On 3rd October 2022, during the Conservative Party Conference, Michelle Donelan, then the new Secretary for State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), made a speech announcing a plan to replace the UK GDPR with a new “British data protection system”. Another full consultation round was expected but never materialised.

The previous Bill have now been withdrawn. We will provide analysis and updates on the new Bill, as it progresses through Parliament, over the coming months. An initial summary of the key proposals, both old and new, is set out below:

What remains the same from the original bill?

Many of the proposals in the new Bill are the same as contained in the previous Bill. For a detailed analysis please read our previous blog post. Here is a summary:

  • Amended Definition of Personal Data: This proposed change would limit the assessment of identifiability of data to the controller or processor, and persons who are likely to receive the information, rather than anyone in the world. 

  • Vexatious Data Subject Requests: The terms “manifestly unfounded” or “excessive” requests, in Article 12 of the UK GDPR, will be replaced with “vexatious” or “excessive” requests. Explanation and examples of such requests will also be included.

  • Data Subject Complaints: Data Controllers will be required to acknowledge receipt of Data Subject complaints within 30 days and respond substantively “without undue delay”. The ICO will be entitled not to accept a complaint, if a Data Subject has not made a complaint to the controller first.

  • Data Protection Officer: The obligation for some controllers and processors to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) will be removed. However, public bodies and those who carry out processing likely to result in a “high risk” to individuals will be required to designate a senior manager as a “Senior Responsible Individual”. 

  • Data Protection Impact Assessments: These will be replaced by leaner and less prescriptive “Assessments of High Risk Processing”. 

  • International Transfers: There will be a new approach to the test for adequacy applied by the UK Government to countries (and international organisations) and when Data Controllers are carrying out a Transfer Impact Assessment or TIA. The threshold for this new “data protection test” will be whether a jurisdiction offers protection that is “not materially lower” than under the UK GDPR. (For more detail see also our forthcoming International Transfers webinar).
  • The Information Commission: The Information Commissioner’s Office will transform into the Information Commission; a corporate body with a chief executive.

  • Business Data: The Secretary of State and the Treasury will be given the power to issue regulations requiring “data holders” to make available “customer data” and “business data” to customers or third parties, as well as regulations requiring certain processing, such as collection and retention, of such data. 

  • PECR: Cookies will be allowed to be used without consent for the purposes of web analytics and to install automatic software updates. Furthermore non-commercial organisations (e.g. charities and political parties) will be able to rely on the “soft opt-in” for direct marketing purposes, if they have obtained contact details from an individual expressing interest. Finally, there will be an increase to the fines from the current maximum of £500,000 to UK GDPR levels i.e.  up to £17.5m of 4% of global annual turnover (whichever is higher). 

What has changed?

The new Bill does not make any radical changes to the previous Bill; rather it clarifies some points and provides a bit more flexibility in other areas. The main changes are summarised below:

  • Scientific Research: The definition of scientific research is amended so that it now includes research for the purposes of commercial activity.
    This expands the circumstances in which processing for research purposes may be undertaken, providing a broader consent mechanism and exemption to the fair processing requirement.
  • Legitimate Interests: The previous Bill proposed that businesses could rely on legitimate interests (Article 6 lawful basis) without the requirement to conduct a balancing test against the rights and freedoms of data subjects where those legitimate interests are “recognised”. These “recognised” legitimate interests cover purposes for processing such as national security, public security, defence, emergencies, preventing crime, safeguarding and democratic engagement.  The new Bill, whilst keeping the above changes, introduces a non-exhaustive list of cases where organisations may rely on the “legitimate interests” legal basis, including for the purposes of direct marketing, transferring data within the organisation for administrative purposes and for the purposes of ensuring the security of network and information systems; although a balancing exercise still needs to be conducted in these cases. 

  • Automated Decision Making: The previous Bill clarified that its proposed restrictions on automated decision-making under Article 22 UK GDPR should only apply to decisions that are a result of automated processing without “meaningful human involvement”. The new Bill states that profiling will be a relevant factor in the assessment as to whether there has been meaningful human involvement in a decision. 
  • Records of Processing Activities (ROPA): The previous Bill streamlined the required content of ROPAs. The new Bill exempts all controllers and processors from the duty to maintain a ROPA unless they are carrying out high risk processing activities. 

The Impact

The EU conducts a review of adequacy with the UK every four years; the next adequacy decision is due on 27th June 2025. Some commentators have suggested that the changes may jeopardise the UK’s adequate status and so impact the free flow of data between the UK and EU. We disagree. Although the Government states that the new Bill is “a new system of data protection”, it still retains the UK GDPR’s structure and fundamental obligations. Some tinkering around the edges is not really going to have much of an impact (see the helpful redline version of the new Bill produced by the good people at Hogen Lovells). Organisations that are already compliant with the UK GDPR will not be required to make any major changes to their systems and processes. 

The new Bill has been introduced at the first reading stage. The second reading, due to be scheduled within the next few weeks, which will be the first time the Government’s data protection reforms will be debated in Parliament. We expect the Bill to be passed in a form similar to the one now published and come into force later this year.

This and other data protection developments will be discussed in detail on our forthcoming  DP Bill workshop workshop. There are only 3 places left on our next Advanced Certificate in GDPR Practice. 

2024 UPDATE:

In an amendment made in the House of Commons, clause 12 of the Bill amend Article 15 of the UK GDPR so that when responding to a subject access request the Data Subject the data subject is only entitled “to such confirmation, personal data and other information as the controller is able to provide based on a reasonable and proportionate search for the personal data and other information”.

The Commissioner has expressed reservations about the adequacy of safeguards in the current draft of the bill, especially in terms of personal data handling for social security purposes. https://actnowtraining.blog/2023/12/21/data-protection-bill-faces-scrutinycommissioner-calls-for-tighter-safeguards/

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill: A new UK GDPR?

In July the Government published the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, the next step in its much publicised plans to reform the UK Data Protection regime following Brexit. 

In the Government’s response to the September 2021 consultation (“Data: A New Direction”) it said it intended “to create an ambitious, pro-growth and innovation-friendly data protection regime that underpins the trustworthy use of data.” To achieve this, the new Bill proposes substantial amendments to existing UK data protection legislation; namely the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (“PECR”). There is no shiny new Data Protection Act 2022 or even a new colour for the UK GDPR! Perhaps a missed opportunity to showcase the benefits of Brexit! 

In addition to reforming core data protection law, the Bill deals with certification of digital identity providers, electronic registers of births and deaths and information standards for data-sharing in the health and adult social care system. The notable DP provisions are set out below.

Amended Definition of Personal Data

Clause 1 of the Bill limits the scope of personal data to:

  • where the information is identifiable by the controller or processor by reasonable means at the time of the processing; or
  • where the controller or processor ought to know that another person will likely obtain the information as a result of the processing and the individual will likely be identifiable by that person by reasonable means at the time of the processing.

This proposed change would limit the assessment of identifiability of data to the controller or processor, and persons who are likely to receive the information, rather than anyone in the world. It could make it easier for organisations to achieve data anonymisation as they would no longer need to concern themselves with potential future identifiability, with the focus instead being on identifiability “at the time of the processing”. On the other hand, the change does not address the risk of indirect identification.

Vexatious Data Subject Requests

Article 12 of the UK GDPR allows controllers to refuse to comply with data subject rights requests (or charge a fee) when the requests are “manifestly unfounded” or “excessive”.  Clause 7 of the Bill proposes to replace this with “vexatious” or “excessive”. Examples of vexatious requests given in the Bill are those requests intended to cause distress, not made in good faith, or that are an abuse of process. All these could easily fit into “manifestly unfounded” and so it is difficult to understand the need for change here. 

Data Subject Complaints

Currently, the UK GDPR allows a data subject to complain to the Information Commissioner, but nothing expressly deals with whether or how they can complain to a controller. Clause 39 of the Bill would make provision for this and require the controller to acknowledge receipt of such a complaint within 30 days and respond substantively “without undue delay”. However, under clause 40, if a data subject has not made a complaint to the controller, the ICO is entitled not to accept the complaint.

Much was made about “privacy management programmes” in the Government’s June announcement. These are not expressly mentioned in the Bill but most of the proposals that were to have fallen under that banner are still there (see below).

Senior Responsible Individuals

As announced in June, the obligation for some controllers and processors to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) is proposed to be removed. However, public bodies and those who carry out processing likely to result in a “high risk” to individuals, are required (by clause 14) to designate a senior manager as a “Senior Responsible Individual”. Just like the DPO, the SRI must be adequately resourced and cannot be dismissed for performing their tasks under the role. The requirement for them to be a senior manager (rather than just reporting to senior management, as current DPOs must) will cause problems for those organisations currently using outsourced DPO services.

ROPAs and DPIAs

The requirement for Records of Processing Activities (ROPAs) will also go. Clause 15 of the Bill proposes to replace it with a leaner “Record of Processing of Personal Data”.  Clause 17 will replace Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) with leaner and less prescriptive Assessments of High Risk Processing. Clause 18 ensures that controllers are no longer required, under Article 36 of the UK GDPR, to consult the ICO on certain high risk DPIAs.

Automated Decision Making

Article 22 of UK GDPR currently confers a “right” on data subjects not to be subject to automated decision making which produces legal effects or otherwise significantly affects them. Clause 11 of the Bill reframes Article 22 in terms of a positive right to human intervention. However, it would only apply to “significant” decisions, rather than decisions that produce legal effects or similarly significant effects. It is unclear whether this will make any practical difference. 

International Transfers 

The judgment of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in “Schrems II” not only stated that organisations that transfer personal data to the US can no longer rely on the Privacy Shield Framework as a legal transfer tool. It also said that in any international data transfer situation, whether to the USA or other countries, the data exporter needs to make a complex assessment  about the recipient country’s data protection legislation to ensure that it adequately protects the data especially from access by foreign security agencies (a Transfer Impact Assessment or TIA) .  

The Bill amends Chapter 5 of the UK GDPR (international transfers) with the introduction of the “data protection test” for the above mentioned assessment. This would involve determining if the standard of protection provided for data subjects in the recipient country is “not materially lower” than the standard of protection in the UK. The new test would apply both to the Secretary of State, when making “adequacy” determinations, and to controllers, when deciding whether to transfer data. The explanatory notes to the Bill state that the test would not require a “point- by-point comparison” between the other country’s regime and the UK’s. Instead an assessment will be “based on outcomes i.e. the overall standard of protection for a data subject”. 

An outcome based approach will be welcome by organisations who regularly transfer personal data internationally especially where it is of no practical interest to foreign security agencies. However, this proposed approach will attract the attention of the EU (see later). (see also our forthcoming International Transfers webinar).

The Information Commission

Under clause 100 of the Bill, the Information Commissioner’s Office will transform into the Information Commission; a corporate body with a chief executive (presumably John Edwards, the current Commissioner). 

The Commission would have a principal function of overseeing data protection alongside additional duties such as to have regard to the desirability of promoting innovation; the desirability of promoting competition; the importance of the prevention, investigation, detection and prosecution of criminal offences; and the need to safeguard public security and national security. New powers for the Commission include an audit/assessment power (clause 35) to require a controller to appoint a person to prepare and provide a report and to compel individuals to attend for interviews (clause 36) in civil and criminal investigations.

The Bill also proposes to abolish the Surveillance Camera Commissioner and the Biometrics Commissioner.

Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 

Currently, under PECR, cookies (and similar technologies) can only be used to store or access information on end user terminal equipment without express consent where it is “strictly necessary” e.g. website security or proper functioning of the site. The Bill proposes allowing cookies to be used without consent for the purposes of web analytics and to install automatic software updates (see the GDPR enforcement cases involving Google Analytics). 

Another notable proposed change to PECR, involves extending “the soft opt-in” to electronic communications from organisations other than businesses. This would permit political parties, charities and other non-profits to send unsolicited email and SMS direct marketing to individuals without consent, where they have an existing supporter relationship with the recipient. 

Finally on PECR, the Bill proposes to increase the fines for infringement from the current maximum of £500,000 to UK GDPR levels i.e.  up to £17.5m of 4% of global annual turnover (whichever is higher). 

Business Data

The Bill would give the Secretary of State and the Treasury the power to issue regulations requiring “data holders” to make available “customer data” and “business data” to customers or third parties, as well as regulations requiring certain processing, such as collection and retention, of such data. “Customers” would not just be data subjects, but anyone who purchased (or received for free) goods, services or digital content from a trader in a consumer (rather than business) context. “Business data” would include information about goods, services and digital content supplied or provided by a trader. It would also include information about where those goods etc. are supplied, the terms on which they are supplied or provided, prices or performance and information relating to feedback from customers. Customers would potentially have a right to access their data, which might include information on the customer’s usage patterns and the price paid to aid personalised price comparisons. Similarly, businesses could potentially be required to publish, or otherwise make available, business data.

These provisions go much further than existing data portability provisions in the UK GDPR. The latter does not guarantee provision of data in “real time”, nor cover wider contextual data. Nor do they apply where the customer is not an individual.

Adequacy?

The Bill is currently making its way through Parliament. The impact assessment reiterates that “the government’s view is that reform of UK legislation on personal data is compatible with the EU maintaining free flow of personal data from Europe.”  However, with the multiple amendments proposed in the Bill, the UK GDPR is starting to look quite different to the EU version. And the more the two regimes diverge, the more there is a risk that the EU might put a “spanner in the works” when the UK adequacy assessment is reviewed in 2024. Much depends on the balance struck in the final text of the Bill. 

This and other GDPR developments will be discussed in detail on our forthcoming GDPR Update workshop. We also have a few places left on our Advanced Certificate in GDPR Practice course starting in September. 

The Future of the UK Data Protection Regime

Last week, the Government signalled its plans to reform the UK Data Protection regime by publishing its response to the consultation launched in September last year. In “Data: A New Direction” the Government said it intended “to create an ambitious, pro-growth and innovation-friendly data protection regime that underpins the trustworthy use of data.” Time will tell whether the proposed changes set out it in the response will achieve this aim. 

The Government has avoided the temptation to change the title of the UK GDPR to something more post Brexit which says “see, we told you Brexit would bring benefits”. No DPA 2022, however the UK GDPR will be amended as will the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR). 

Privacy Management Programmes

The main proposed change will be to the UK GDPR’s accountability framework. This proposal would require an organisation to develop and implement a risk-based privacy
management programme that reflects the volume and sensitivity of the personal information it handles, and the type(s) of data processing it carries out. A privacy management programme would include the appropriate personal information policies and processes for the protection of personal information.

To support the implementation of the new accountability framework, the Government intends to remove the requirement to :

  • Designate a Data Protection Officer under Article 37.  This will be replaced by the need to appoint a suitable individual to oversee the organisation’s DP compliance. A DPO by another name?
  • Undertake a Data Protection Impact Assessment under Article 35. Under the new privacy management programme, organisations will still be required to identify and manage risks, but they will be granted greater flexibility as to how to meet these requirements.
  • Maintain a Record of Processing Activity (ROPA) under Article 30. Organisations will still need to have personal data inventories as part of their privacy management programme which describe what and where personal data is held, why it has been collected and how sensitive it is, but they will not be required to do so in the way prescribed by the requirements set out in Article 30.
  • Consult the ICO, under Article 36, in relation to high-risk personal data processing that cannot be mitigated 

Some commentators have likened these proposals to “the Emperor’s new clothes.” There is a lot of tinkering and changing of names but the bottom line (no pun intended) remains the same. Those who take data protection seriously will continue to do what they have always done (e.g. DPIAs and having a DPO) whist those who see data protection as a burden will consider the proposals as an excuse to do the absolute minimum. 

Subject Access Costs

The Government, in its response to the consultation,  recognises the burden subject access requests can place on some organisations. However, despite there being a proposal in the consultation, it does not plan to reintroduce a fee for a subject access request; nor will there be a cost ceiling for responding to a request like under the Freedom of Information Act. However, in the future, “vexatious or excessive” requests will be able to be refused under Article 12. Query the difference between this and the current wording of “manifestly unfounded or excessive”. 

PECR and Marketing 

The government also consulted on possible changes to PECR which regulates, amongst other things, cookie rules and unsolicited direct marketing communications. The main changes to expect include:

  • Permitting organisations to use analytics cookies and similar technologies without a users’ consent. 
  • Permitting organisations to store information on, or collect information from, a user’s device without their consent for other limited purposes.
  • Extending “the soft opt-in” to electronic communications from organisations other than businesses where they have previously formed a relationship with the person, perhaps as a result of membership or subscription including political parties and non-commercial entities.
  • Making it easier for political groups to use data for “political engagement”.
  • Increasing the PECR fines to GDPR levels.

There are many more proposals, including to change the structure and governance of the ICO, helpfully summarised in Annex A of the Government’s response. The big question now is how the proposed changes will be viewed by the European Commission. Will it be prompted to review the UK’s current “adequacy status” allowing free transfer of personal data between the UK and the EU? Let us know your thoughts in the comment field below.

This and other GDPR developments will be discussed in detail on our forthcoming GDPR Update workshop. We also have a few places left on our Advanced Certificate in GDPR Practice course starting in September. 

The Data Reform Bill: What changes can we expect to the UK GDPR?

Prince Charles has outlined the government’s priorities for the year ahead, as he delivered the Queen’s Speech. The speech highlighted some of the 38 laws that ministers intend to pass in the coming year. This includes a new Data Protection Reform Bill which is predicted to make sweeping changes to the UK GDPR. The draft bill will published this summer but you don’t have to look too far back for clues about its contents.

On 10th September 2021, the UK Government launched a consultation entitled “Data: A new direction” intended “to create an ambitious, pro-growth and innovation-friendly data protection regime that underpins the trustworthy use of data.” Cynics will say that it is an attempt to water down the UK GDPR just a few months after the UK received adequacy status from the European Union. 

Back in May, the Prime Ministerial Taskforce on Innovation, Growth, and Regulatory Reform (TIGRR) published a 130-page report setting out a “new regulatory framework” for the UK. Saying that the current data protection regime contained too many onerous compliance requirements, it suggested that the government: 

“Replace the UK GDPR with a new, more proportionate, UK Framework of Citizen Data Rights to give people greater control of their data while allowing data to flow more freely and drive growth across healthcare, public services and the digital economy.” 

Many of the recommendations made in the TIGRR Report can be found in the latest consultation document. The government believes the reforms will benefit the U.K. economy, but should the reforms go too far, they could risk the U.K.’s adequacy status with the EU.

So what can we expect in the Data Reform Bill? Page 57 of the press briefing accompany the Queen’s Speech sets out the main elements of the Bill are:

  • Ensuring that UK citizens’ personal data is protected to a gold standard while enabling public bodies to share data to improve the delivery of services.
  • Using data and reforming regulations to improve the everyday lives of people in the UK, for example, by enabling data to be shared more efficiently between public bodies, so that delivery of services can be improved for people.
  • Designing a more flexible, outcomes-focused approach to data protection that helps create a culture of data protection, rather than “tick box” exercises.

At the very least we can expect the Accountability requirements to be relaxed as has been trailed in the Consultation document. The Government wants to allow data controllers to implementing a more “flexible and risk-based accountability framework”, which is based on privacy management programmes, that reflects the volume and sensitivity of the personal information they handle, and the type(s) of data processing they carry out.  To support the implementation of the new accountability framework we think the government will, amongst other things, remove the requirement to:

  • Consult the ICO in relation to high-risk personal data processing that cannot be mitigated (Article 36)
  • The record keeping requirements under Article 30
  • The need to report a data breach where the risk to individuals is “not material”

Act Now will of course keep you informed about the proposed changes via this blog as well as our programme of GDPR workshops. Fasten your seatbelts!

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