Open Rights Group has responded to the publication of a new draft of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. The revised Bill fails to address the privacy concerns raised by civil society, and in fact expands the ways that businesses and government bodies can process, use and re-use our data.
Policy manager Abigail Burke said:
“It appears that the revised version of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will be worse than the last, posing an even greater threat to our privacy rights.
“The Government seems intent on undermining our ability to have control over our data, instead greatly expanding the power of businesses and government departments to collect, process and re-use our data in new ways.
“The UK has an opportunity to create a world-leading data protection law that puts people’s privacy rights at the fore, and aligns with our biggest markets. Instead, this appears to be an attempt to take power from citizens and give it to government.”
Threats to business
As well as harming data rights, the government’s proposals have been criticised as potentially damaging for the economy, by putting the UK at risk of failing to meet EU adequacy requirements. Conservative estimates found that the loss of the adequacy agreement would cost 1 to 1.6 billion pounds in legal fees alone, not including the cost resulting from disruption of digital trade, investments, and the relocation of UK businesses to the EU.
Numerous businesses have spoken out about the negative impacts of the bill’s proposals.
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