Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Council Framework Decision 2008/977/JHA

Article 16U.K.Right to rectification or erasure of personal data and restriction of processing

1.Member States shall provide for the right of the data subject to obtain from the controller without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate personal data relating to him or her. Taking into account the purposes of the processing, Member States shall provide for the data subject to have the right to have incomplete personal data completed, including by means of providing a supplementary statement.

2.Member States shall require the controller to erase personal data without undue delay and provide for the right of the data subject to obtain from the controller the erasure of personal data concerning him or her without undue delay where processing infringes the provisions adopted pursuant to Article 4, 8 or 10, or where personal data must be erased in order to comply with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.

3.Instead of erasure, the controller shall restrict processing where:

(a)the accuracy of the personal data is contested by the data subject and their accuracy or inaccuracy cannot be ascertained; or

(b)the personal data must be maintained for the purposes of evidence.

Where processing is restricted pursuant to point (a) of the first subparagraph, the controller shall inform the data subject before lifting the restriction of processing.

4.Member States shall provide for the controller to inform the data subject in writing of any refusal of rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing and of the reasons for the refusal. Member States may adopt legislative measures restricting, wholly or partly, the obligation to provide such information to the extent that such a restriction constitutes a necessary and proportionate measure in a democratic society with due regard for the fundamental rights and legitimate interests of the natural person concerned in order to:

(a)avoid obstructing official or legal inquiries, investigations or procedures;

(b)avoid prejudicing the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties;

(c)protect public security;

(d)protect national security;

(e)protect the rights and freedoms of others.

Member States shall provide for the controller to inform the data subject of the possibility of lodging a complaint with a supervisory authority or seeking a judicial remedy.

5.Member States shall provide for the controller to communicate the rectification of inaccurate personal data to the competent authority from which the inaccurate personal data originate.

6.Member States shall, where personal data has been rectified or erased or processing has been restricted pursuant to paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, provide for the controller to notify the recipients and that the recipients shall rectify or erase the personal data or restrict processing of the personal data under their responsibility.