Farewell, Data Protection Bill??
The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill - about which JAAG had expressed significant concerns - will not become law in this Parliamentary session because business has been curtailed due to the Prime Minister’s decision to call an early General Election.
The Bill aimed to reform the UK data protection regime following Brexit.
JAAG, like many other civil society organisations, had expressed concern that the Bill would have:
removed individuals’ rights to not to be subjected to automated decision-making (without any human involvement);
limited people’s ability to access information about how their personal data is collected and used;
reduced the independence of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO);
given the Secretary of State undemocratic controls over data protection;
given businesses new freedoms to use personal data for commercial activities; and
watered down organisations’ obligations to be accountable for the way they use personal data.
It is, of course, possible that the next UK government will introduce this, or a similar, Bill.
JAAG will continue to scrutinise government plans that may curtail citizens’ rights over the way their personal data is used.