United KingdomNotable recent legislation

These regulations outline the specific requirements for individuals to provide information and digitally "sign" official registers for births and deaths in England and Wales. They clarify how the statutory duty to sign the register can be fulfilled through compliance with specified electronic requirements. This facilitates the digital collection and recording of sensitive personal data by public authorities, impacting data governance for official records.

This proposed bill aims to mandate candour, transparency, and frankness for public authorities and officials in their dealings. It includes provisions for enforcing this duty in inquiries and investigations, and creates offenses for misleading the public. This legislation could significantly impact the governance and disclosure of public sector data and information, promoting greater accountability.

This proposed bill aims to update rules for voter registration and the administration of elections. It includes provisions for information used in electronic campaigning materials and addresses political expenditure. This legislation could impact how political data is collected, managed, and used, touching upon data governance principles.

This proposed bill seeks to establish provisions for the collection and recording of information related to buildings with residential accommodation. It aims to enhance fire safety and address liabilities concerning construction products. The bill's focus on structured data collection about buildings has a clear data governance dimension.

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has updated its guidance page regarding requests for opinions received in 2025. This resource provides information on the types of opinions sought from the IPO. Such opinions can cover various intellectual property matters, potentially including the protection of data or databases.

These regulations bring into force specific sections of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, effective September 30, 2026. Key provisions include the abolition of the Information Commissioner's office and the transfer of its functions to the newly established Information Commission. This marks a significant change in the UK's data governance regulatory landscape, impacting how data protection and access are overseen.

This bill aims to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for financial services and markets. Such legislation often includes provisions related to data governance, security, and the handling of proprietary financial information, which are crucial for protecting data as a valuable asset within the financial sector. It can indirectly strengthen the treatment of financial data as a protected business asset, aligning with aspects of trade secret protection and data governance.

This Bill aims to strengthen the security and resilience of network and information systems, including by amending the existing 2018 Regulations. Its provisions are designed to protect systems vital for essential activities, which inherently involves safeguarding the data processed and stored within them. This legislative effort contributes to the broader framework for protecting valuable data assets from unauthorized access or compromise.

This new Act introduces measures to identify and address foreign power threat activities, including the designation of involved bodies and the creation of related offenses. It aims to bolster national security by protecting sensitive information and data from state-sponsored interference, thereby safeguarding valuable intellectual assets like trade secrets. The legislation provides a framework to counter threats that could compromise confidential data and national interests.

On 18 March 2026 DSIT, DCMS and the IPO published the Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence with an impact assessment, as required by sections 135-136 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. Drawing on more than 11,000 consultation responses, the government abandoned its previously preferred option of a broad commercial text-and-data-mining exception with rightsholder opt-out, concluding there is no consensus for reform. It will instead keep the existing copyright framework, gather further evidence, and monitor EU and US developments before proposing any legislative change to how AI developers may use protected works and data for training.

On 3 March 2026 Mr Justice Saini in the Commercial Court ruled on interim relief in a dispute between rival CRM platforms serving OnlyFans management agencies, where the claimant alleged the defendants unlawfully scraped confidential customer and fan data from its Infloww platform. The court continued the breach-of-confidence injunction until trial but narrowed its terms, barring the defendants from commercially exploiting the scraped dataset while permitting third-party agencies continued access to mitigate harm to non-parties. The judgment illustrates how English courts protect proprietary datasets through confidentiality and trade-secrets theories against scraping.

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 6 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/82), made on 29 January 2026, commenced the bulk of the Act's Part 5 data protection reforms on 5 February 2026. Provisions now in force include the recognised legitimate interests lawful basis, relaxed rules on scientific research and purpose limitation, reformed automated decision-making rules, international transfer changes, and strengthened enforcement powers, with the data-subject complaints regime following on 19 June 2026. Transitional provisions preserve pre-commencement rules for pending requests and enforcement.