Context
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has published details in relation to the introduction of a draft Data Protection and Digital Information Bill into Parliament. The page on which the details are published will allow other related documents to be sourced, and where the Bill’s passage can be tracked. There is an accompanying Notes document and accompanying Impact Assessments.
Key points to note
The first reading of the Bill took place on 18th July 2022, and the second reading is scheduled for 5th September 2022. The Bill will introduce changes to the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR, intending to update and simplify the UK’s data protection framework with a view to reducing burdens on organisations while maintaining high data protection standards. The Bill would provide organisations with greater flexibility on how to comply with certain aspects of the data protection legislation; improving the clarity of the framework, particularly for research organisations; and providing more certainty and stability for cross-border flows of personal data. It also extends data sharing powers under section 35 of the Digital Economy Act (DEA) 2017 to include businesses, with a view to better enabling targeted government services to support business growth and to deliver joined-up public services and reduce legal barriers to data sharing. It is to make provision for and about:
- the regulation of the processing of information relating to identified or identifiable living individuals;
- services consisting of the use of information to ascertain and verify facts about individuals;
- access to customer data and business data;
- privacy and electronic communications;
- services for the provision of electronic signatures, electronic seals and other trust services;
- the disclosure of information to improve public service delivery;
- the implementation of agreements on sharing information for law enforcement purposes;
- the keeping and maintenance of registers of births and deaths;
- information standards for health and social careoversight of biometric data and for connected purposes; and
- to establish the Information Commission, which will formally replace the Office of the Information Commissioner, including its governance structure, duties, enforcement powers, reporting requirements, data protection complaints processes and its development of statutory codes of practice.
Next actions
None – for information and awareness, but there is a significant amount of detail included within the Bill that we will provide more information about as the Bill progresses.