On 19 June 2026, one year after the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (“DUAA”) received Royal Assent, all data controllers subject to UK data protection law will be required by statute to have a formal process for handling data protection complaints. With the deadline now three months away, organisations should review their existing arrangements, updating relevant policies and procedures, and ensuring they are ready to comply with the new obligations.
To assist businesses with their compliance efforts, the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”), published guidance entitled “How to deal with data protection complaints” on 12 February 2026. The guidance follows the ICO’s usual framework, distinguishing between what controllers must do to comply with the law, what they should do as good practice, and what they could do to adopt a more robust approach.