Ping Pong in Parliament - Data Protection Bill

Despite the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’) becoming enforceable on 25 May 2018, the UK Data Protection Bill 2017-19 (‘the Bill’) is yet to receive Royal Assent.

On the 15 May 2018, the status of the Bill was changed to “ping pong” which means amendments are toing and froing between the House of Commons and House of Lords.

The disagreement centres around the clause regarding data protection breaches by national news publishers, processing personal data for the purposes of journalism and the effectiveness of the media’s dispute resolution procedures. The House of Lords has agreed to some amendments made by the House of Commons, however request a further amendment which now needs the agreement of the House of Commons. This is expected to be considered today.

Review the passage of the Bill through Parliament here.

Aspire Comment

The passage of the Bill through Parliament does not impact the GDPR becoming enforceable from 25 May 2018, therefore this does not give you more time to become compliant with the GDPR. Therefore, as of 25 May 2018 non-compliance with the GDPR could cost you 20 million Euros or 4% of your global annual turnover, whichever is higher. Compliance with GDPR may seem overwhelming and extensive, however Aspire can assist you to comply by; conducting a data protection audit, drafting relevant policies and documents, updating existing documents and providing training to your workforce.