On October 23, 2024, the UK government introduced the draft Data (Use and Access) Bill (the “Bill”) to the House of Lords. The Bill has been introduced by the new UK government, following the lapse of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill introduced by the previous government. The Bill seeks to amend several parts of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the UK Data Protection Act 2018, including provisions relating to certain data subject rights (such as the right of access), the principle of purpose limitation in the context of further processing of data, scientific research, international transfers, and automated decision-making. It also proposes changes to the structure of the UK data protection authority, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (the “ICO”). The Bill also introduces significant provisions for digital verification services and digital identities, including requiring that digital providers be certified with the UK government’s “trust framework.”

In a statement published on October 24, 2024, the ICO welcomed the introduction of the Bill and confirmed it will be publishing its response to the Bill in due course.