On 9 September 2021, the UK government published ‘Data: a new direction’, its proposals for reforming the UK’s data protection regime. The proposed reforms aim to secure the UK’s international position as a science superpower and data hub, to build on the unprecedented and life-saving use of data to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, and to overhaul the role of the Information Commissioner’s Office and the data responsibilities of businesses and other organisations.
The proposals are now out for consultation until Friday 19 November 2021, and organisations and individuals across the UK can respond with their evidence or perspectives to help shape how the proposed reforms are developed and implemented. We intend to submit a response to the consultation and are formulating our position on the proposed reforms through research, analysis, and convening expert discussion meetings to explore the issues: please see our project page for updates on how we’re engaging.
Our thinking is guided by our theory of change for how those who steward data, and those who create information from this data, can act in ways that lead to the best social and economic outcomes for everyone. Our high-level position is informed by our manifesto, which outlines the elements of open and trustworthy data ecosystems: infrastructure, capability, innovation, equity, ethics and engagement.
On Friday 19 November we submitted our full response – you can read it here. On Wednesday 24 November we added an update to the draft outline to reflect material in our full consultation response, and then closed the document for reader comments
If you’d like more information on any of our resources, or would like to see the draft of our complete response, please get in touch via email [email protected] or on Twitter @ODIHQ.