In October 2024, the UK government introduced the Data (Use and Access) Bill (the Data Bill) to Parliament. The Data Bill represents a third attempt by UK ministers to bring about reforms to the UK’s data protection and ePrivacy regimes. If enacted, the Data Bill will introduce changes to the existing regime, including by reducing restrictions on automated decision-making and enhancing powers for the UK’s privacy regulator. It will also lay the groundwork for new “Smart Data” schemes, which will in future require companies operating in certain industries to share data with authorized and regulated third parties.
What Is Notable About the Data Bill?
Although much may change before the Data Bill is finally passed into law, some significant points to note are:
Next Steps
The Data Bill passed its first formal reading on October 23, 2024, and now awaits its second reading in the House of Commons. It is likely that it will take several months to pass into law. We will continue to report on further developments regarding the Data Bill.
For more information, please contact Nikolaos Theodorakis, Tom Evans, or another member of the firm’s privacy and cybersecurity practice.
Claudia Chan contributed to the preparation of this Wilson Sonsini Alert.