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Next steps for data protection in the UK

TO BE PUBLISHED April 2025


Starting from: £99 + VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF


This conference will examine key developments and next steps for data protection in the UK.


It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to discuss provisions for updating data protection legislation outlined in the Data (Use and Access) Bill, introduced into Parliament in October 2024, looking at potential implications for businesses, priorities for effective design of a new data protection regime, and the way forward for effective regulation.


Sessions will assess implications for public services, including priorities for secure data-sharing in the public sector and opportunities for potential economic growth, including the Bill’s proposal to streamline data sharing across the NHS and Police with the aim of reducing administrative bureaucracy and boosting efficiency.


Delegates will explore next steps for effective implementation following the completion of the Bill’s passage through Parliament, considering concerns regarding the financial burden of data protection requirements and the reformed National Underground Access Register, as well as implications for personal data security and the ability of individuals to protect their data protection rights.


Economic ambitions of the Bill will also be discussed, including opportunities presented in various industries by expanding smart data schemes beyond open banking, and the decision to enable AI-powered automated decision-making with data in certain circumstances. Discussion will also consider challenges for innovation, including the role of regulators and priorities for balancing data access with personal privacy.


Delegates will also examine the decision to allow researchers to access online platform data with the aim of facilitating a greater understanding of online safety, including opportunities for advancements in combating online harm, as well as implications for personal data security under the data access mechanism.


Further sessions will discuss implications for regulatory oversight moving forward, with proposed reform to streamline the ICO into the Information Commission. Implications for regulatory independence will be considered, alongside the future of regulation in light of changes introduced in the Bill, as well as approaches to consent or pay business models.


Discussion is also expected on notable deviations from the previous Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, including the reversal of plans to lower the rejection threshold for DSAR, the cancellation of changes to the definition of personal data, and the removal of the Secretary of State’s power to set binding priorities for the ICO.


We also expect delegates to examine priorities for maintaining UK-EU data adequacy, with concerns raised to government by The European Union Committee of the House of Lords, and in light of the June 2025 renewal deadline. Delegates will assess how incoming legislation could impact the UK’s adequacy status, as well as other international relationships, looking at next steps for achieving high standards of data protection rights.



This on-demand pack includes

  • A full video recording of the conference as it took place, with all presentations, Q&A sessions, and remarks from chairs
  • An automated transcript of the conference
  • Copies of the slides used to accompany speaker presentations (subject to permission
  • Access to on-the-day materialfs, including speaker biographies, attendee lists and the agenda