Spam callers could be fined £17.5 million in post-Brexit clampdown
A new post-Brexit law designed to crackdown on nuisance calls and repeated pop-ups could come into force within months.
The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, which will go before the House of Commons on Monday, will increase fines for spam calls from £500,000 to £17.5 million, or up to four per cent of the company's turnover.
The bill will also reduce the number of “consent pop-ups” people see online which repeatedly ask users to give permission for websites to collect data about their visits.
The law has been touted by ministers as “one of Brexit’s biggest rewards”.
The bill will also make it easier and quicker for people to verify their identity online as people will now be able to create certified digital identities that make verification easier.
It also creates the possibility of using personal digital data for “research purposes”.
Current data laws are murky on how scientists can process personal data, which they say prevents them from completing vital research.
The definition of scientific research in the new Bill is deliberately vague and could include innovative research into new tech developments.
It is hoped the proposals in the new bill will improve the UK’s ability to strike deals with other countries, theoretically allowing British businesses to gain billions of pounds of data trade.
Data-driven trade generated 85 per cent of the UK’s total service exports and contributed an estimated £259 billion for the economy in 2021.
The law is also set to modernise the structure of the Information Commissioner's Office, including appointing a chair, chief executive and board.
Companies will also no longer need a data protection officer, only a data controller, and will be able to refuse requests from individuals for their own data if the requests are “abusive or excessive”.
The bill was designed to remove the prescriptive requirements inherited from the European Union's complex General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and its “one-size-fits all” approach.
Announcing the bill tomorrow, Data Minister Julia Lopez is expected to say: “This Bill will maintain the high standards of data protection that British people rightly expect.
“But it will also help the people who are using our data to make our lives healthier, safer, and more prosperous.
“That’s because we’ve co-designed it with those people, to ensure that our regulation reflects the way real people live their lives and run their businesses.”
Science Innovation and Technology Secretary, Michelle Donelan, previously said: “Our system will be easier to understand, easier to comply with, and take advantage of the many opportunities of post-Brexit Britain. No longer will our businesses and citizens have to tangle themselves around the barrier-based European GDPR.”
“Our new laws release British businesses from unnecessary red tape to unlock new discoveries, drive forward next generation technologies, create jobs and boost our economy.”
