Everything You Need to Know About the New UK’s Data Reform

According to the speech by the Queen in May, the new reform of the data protection laws has been described as the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill.

The main goal of the UK government is to present the country as the marketplace with the most attractive digital data structure.

Some of the most important initiatives are designed to help individuals get a clear picture of their rights and personal data. At the same time, the reform aims to establish businesses and make them grow while protecting their data privacy.

There is also a goal to develop the authority of the regulator of data protection in the UK. This regulator is the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Officer), and the reform includes the regulator’s dealing with the breaches related to higher financial penalties.

Businesses may struggle with the new reform, mainly because of the latest introduction of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). At the same time, the reform may bring the relaxation of some rules brought by the GDPR UK.

If you are a marketer, you should be aware of some of the highlights of the new reform.

In general, the new data protection scheme in the UK contains a combination of the following rules:

• Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR)
• UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR)
• The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA)

The reform’s key role is to ensure the following:

• Maintaining high standards of data protection and giving organisations more flexibility to protect data in the most effective way.
• Providing organisations with the opportunity to invest in the key features of data protection no matter the technological change.
• Improving existing regulations and applying the best practice requirements available for businesses and organisations.
• Creating benefits and advantages for the UK society by preserving the rights of the data subject and the rights of the regulator.
• Making a reform inside the ICO to make sure there is supervision and transparency of the regulatory practice.

When it comes to cold calling, the UK GDPR is not included in this practice of calling people. However, the processing of personal data is made according to the protection of the legitimate interest of all parties.

There are specific changes that will affect the marketers, and these changes are:

• Better protection of the consumer – The steep fines for PECR breaches could reach £17.5 million, which would decrease the texts, calls, and emails.
• Opt-in for charities and non-commercial organisations – It will be possible for organisations to create soft opt-in and connect with non-commercial organisations like charities.
• Cookie consent removal – The user experience and web analytics will be improved by allowing cookies on web pages, which will be possible inside the UK.
• Anonymisation of data – There will be data that will be anonymous and outside the legislation of the current data protection.
• A list of legitimate interests – This list will contain personal data, but it will exclude the use of marketing activities.

It is anticipated that the new Data Reform Bill will be introduced in 2023. There are still no exact changes that will be implemented, which is why all marketers need to stay updated and prepared for the new changes.

You can do these four things to prepare for the new reform:

• Make sure that you align with your team and see if your processes are compatible with the new requirements
• Check your analytics and see how you are obtaining and using your data
• Review the keeping of your data and make sure that you are using the correct data for making decisions
• Be compliant with the PECR regulations and check for the updates regularly