Same protection

Although Brexit is now over, the UK has thankfully not escaped the provisions of GDPR that is vastly becoming a significant and fundamental protection of our privacy and human rights. For now, the European Union (EU) GDPR will continue to apply as if the UK was still a part of the EU until a UK version of GDPR comes into force on 1 January 2021; which is when the Brexit transition period is currently scheduled to end.

After this time, it is The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments, etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 that will deal with post-Brexit data protection law in the UK. This legislation will remove references to EU laws, institutions, currency and powers but will replace them with the British equivalents were necessary. The Regulations will also transfer any functions previously undertaken by the European Commission to the Secretary of State or the Information Commissioner whereby it will be their decision of whether to mirror the current EU GDPR provisions or add further provisions to the Data Protection Act 2018 which introduced GDPR.

GDPR continues

It remains to be seen what impact Brexit will actually have upon one’s privacy and human rights but for now, we can safely say that they protected in the same way as pre-Brexit and will continue to do so until the transition period ends and we formally leave the EU.