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Data Protection Act 2018, Cross Heading: Prohibitions and restrictions etc on processing is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 02 November 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.![]()
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Textual Amendments
F1S. 183A and cross-heading inserted (20.8.2025) by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 106(2), 142(1); S.I. 2025/904, reg. 2(k)
(1)A relevant enactment or rule of law which imposes a duty, or confers a power, to process personal data does not override a requirement under the main data protection legislation relating to the processing of personal data.
(2)Subsection (1) does not apply—
(a)to a relevant enactment forming part of the main data protection legislation, or
(b)to the extent that an enactment makes express provision to the contrary referring to this section or to the main data protection legislation (or a provision of that legislation).
(3)Subsection (1) does not prevent a duty or power to process personal data from being taken into account for the purpose of determining whether it is possible to rely on an exception to a requirement under the main data protection legislation that is available where there is such a duty or power.
(4)In this section—
“the main data protection legislation” means the data protection legislation other than provision of or made under—
Chapter 6 or 8 of the UK GDPR, or
Parts 5 to 7 of this Act;
“relevant enactment” means an enactment so far as passed or made on or after the day on which section 106(2) of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 comes into force;
“requirement” includes a prohibition or restriction.
(5)The reference in subsection (1) to an enactment or rule of law which imposes a duty, or confers a power, to process personal data is a reference to an enactment or rule of law which, directly or indirectly, requires or authorises the processing of personal data, including (for example)—
(a)by authorising one person to require another person to process personal data, or
(b)by removing restrictions on processing personal data,
and the references in subsection (3) to a duty or power are to be read accordingly.]
(1)This section is about the relationship between—
(a)a pre-commencement enactment which imposes a duty, or confers a power, to process personal data, and
(b)a provision of the main data protection legislation containing a requirement relating to the processing of personal data.
(2)The relationship is not changed by section 5(A1) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (removal of the principle of supremacy of EU law) (or the repeal of section 5(1) to (3) of that Act).
(3)Where the provision described in subsection (1)(b) is a provision of, or made under, the UK GDPR, section 5(A2) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (assimilated direct legislation subject to domestic enactments) does not apply to the relationship.
(4)Nothing is to be implied about a relationship described in subsection (1) merely due to the fact that express provision with similar effect to section 183A(1) (or applying that provision) is made in connection with one such relationship but not another.
(5)In this section—
(a)“the main data protection legislation” and “requirement” have the same meaning as in section 183A, and
(b)“pre-commencement enactment” means an enactment so far as passed or made before the day on which section 106(2) of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 comes into force.
(6)Section 183A(5) applies for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) of this section as it applies for the purposes of section 183A(1).]
Textual Amendments
F2S. 183B inserted (1.1.2024) by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 106(3)(7), 142(1); S.I. 2025/904, reg. 2(k)
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