United Kingdom: Rejected Data Protection and Digital Information Bill including data protection authority governance

On 30 May 2024, the UK Parliament rejected the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, including data protection authority governance, after the Bill was not adopted or carried over to the next session of Parliament following its dissolution. The proposed amendments aimed to empower the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with enhanced tools to combat benefit fraud. In particular, the amendments would have enabled the DWP to conduct routine checks on the bank accounts of benefit claimants, with access limited to essential personal data. The overarching goal was to detect and prevent fraud while ensuring privacy protection through targeted data access in cases indicative of potential fraud or error. Moreover, the proposed amendments would have addressed the use of biometric data for national security enhancement. In particular, the amendments would have strengthened the authority of Counter Terrorism Police to retain the biometrics of individuals deemed a potential threat, particularly those provided by organizations such as Interpol.