A new set of data protection regulations will immediately give citizens sweeping new powers to check what information tech firms have about them and have it deleted.
The Data Protection Bill will give people greater access to find out how companies are using their personal details, including browsing histories and historic posts. It will also increase the 'right to be forgotten', which is designed to make it easier for people to escape from their childhood internet habits as they transition into adulthood.
Credit: PA
Advert
If requested, companies including social media sites and search engines will have to scrub out this data. If a company fails to comply, it could be fined millions of pounds.
Companies will also be required to be more upfront about how data is collected. This means they won't be able to trick their customers by using pre-selected ticks, and people will instead have to give explicit consent.
According to the Independent, the legislation will allow people to request that their personal data be erased by any companies holding it, as well as enabling parents and guardians to give consent for their children's data to be used.
Advert
It also expands the definition of personal data to include IP addresses, internet cookies and DNA, as well as providing a free and more straightforward system for individuals to require an organisation reveal the personal data it holds on them.
Additionally, it means that new criminal offences will be created as a deterrent for organisations to forge circumstances where someone could be identified from anonymised data.
Digital Minister Matt Hancock said: "Our measures are designed to support businesses in their use of data, and give consumers the confidence that their data is protected and those who misuse it will be held to account.
Credit: Flickr/gdsteam (Creative Commons)
Advert
"The new Data Protection Bill will give us one of the most robust, yet dynamic, set of data laws in the world.
"It will give people more control over their data, require more consent for its use, and prepare Britain for Brexit.
"We have some of the best data science in the world and this new law will help it to thrive."
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: "We are pleased the Government recognises the importance of data protection, its central role in increasing trust and confidence in the digital economy and the benefits the enhanced protections will bring to the public."
Julian David, chief executive of industry body techUK, also commented, saying the move "puts the UK in a strong position to secure unhindered data flows once it has left the EU, and gives businesses the clarity they need about their new obligations."
Advert
Sources: Independent, BBC
Featured Image Credit: PA