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ARTICLE · 29 MAY 2023

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Five Years Of The GDPR – A Five Point Reflection

Gowling WLG
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The behemoth of EU data protection legislation – the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") - was implemented into UK law five years ago today, on 25th May 2018

United KingdomPrivacy
Helen Davenport
Helen Davenport
Jocelyn S. Paulley
Jocelyn S. Paulley
Louise Macdonald
Louise Macdonald
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The behemoth of EU data protection legislation - the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") - was implemented into UK law five years ago today, on 25th May 2018. Although an EU instrument, the GDPR imposes obligations on organisations anywhere in the world if they offer goods or services to or monitor people in the EU. It applies directly in the UK following the UK's departure from the EU in 2020, and is supplemented by the Data Protection Act 2018 ("DPA").

Whilst the law itself has not changed since 2018 (although it looks set to, see "Looking ahead" below), our understanding of the implementation and implications of UK GDPR and the DPA have developed significantly over the last five years, since those initial projects to prepare for the 2018 legislation coming into force.

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