The UK data reform Bill was postponed upon the appointment of Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister. Now, it appears that Bill is on hold. The new Secretary of State for DCMS, Michelle Donelan appears to want to take data reform in a new direction. Reform of the data reform, if you like. She has promised “the design of a tailored, business-friendly British system of data protection”. 

The previous Bill followed a consultation. Its aim was to cut burdens on businesses and “reduce barriers to responsible innovation”. I looked at this previously here, here and here. The new Secretary of State is also heavy on rhetoric and light on detail. Still, this was a speech at the Conservative Party conference. She said the UK “inherited” GDPR, failing to recognise the UK was involved in data protection regulation from the start. It seems churches are pleading to send out newsletters without worrying about the misuse of people’s data. And somehow, the shortage of electricians and plumbers is connected to GDPR bureaucracy. 

Nobody wants excessive bureaucracy, of course. If the government simplifies data protection compliance, it will have many supporters. The key is to achieve that while not jeopardising its adequacy status allowing the free flow of personal data to the EU, the world’s largest trading bloc. Let’s see what happens next.

If you need advice, contact me f.jennings@teacherstern.com or +44 (0) 20 7611 2338.

This post first appeared on the Teacher Stern website here.