On 14 September 2017, the Government published the long-awaited draft of the Data Protection Bill (the Bill). The Bill will incorporate the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 into UK law. While the Bill will repeal the existing Data Protection Act 1998 (the DPA), it preserves many of the tailored exemptions which continue to exist under the DPA, such as exemptions for data processing in journalism, scientific and historical research, and in the financial services sector for terrorist financing or money laundering. We have included some 'key points' on the liability of directors, consent of children, sensitive personal data, transfers of personal data to third countries, access rights, and data portability. The Bill is in draft form and is therefore subject to consultation. It does provides, however, a clear insight into the Government's intentions. The extent to which the Bill will be subject to amendments following consultation remains to be seen, but it gives consumers confidence that the UK's data rules are fit for the digital age.
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