UK Compliance — UK GDPR & the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025

UK Compliance: UK GDPR & the Data (Use and Access) Act

The UK has stopped being “just GDPR with a British accent.” The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 makes it its own regime — and this category tracks the difference.

Since the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 took effect in early 2026, the UK is a distinct data-protection regime rather than a copy of the EU’s. It still runs on the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, but with meaningful changes — new “recognised legitimate interests,” adjusted rules for some analytics cookies, reformed automated-decision provisions, and a new right for individuals to complain directly to organisations.

This category explains what UK compliance means for a website now: how it diverges from the EU approach, what PECR still requires for cookies, and the practical steps that keep you aligned for UK visitors. If you’ve been treating UK and EU compliance as one job, this is where to see why they’re increasingly two.

UK Cookie Law 2026: What PECR and the ICO’s New Guidance Actually Require

The ICO published finalised guidance on tracking technologies on April 29, 2026 — the most significant update to UK cookie rules since GDPR. The Data Use and Access Act raised PECR fines from £500,000 to £17.5 million. Three new cookie exemptions came into force in February 2026. This is the complete picture of what UK websites must do now — including what changed, what didn’t, and where agencies are still getting it wrong.

UK Compliance

Meta Pixel GDPR Compliance: What EU and UK Websites Must Do in 2026

In August 2025, Swedish data protection authorities fined multiple pharmacy chains €15 million for deploying Meta Pixel without proper consent. The ruling made one point clear: when it comes to tracking pixels under GDPR, liability sits with you as the website operator — not with Meta. Here’s exactly what GDPR requires for Meta Pixel, what the enforcement record looks like across Europe, and the exact configuration every EU and UK website must have in place.

Meta Pixel GDPR Compliance: What EU and UK Websites Must Do in 2026 Read Post »

Frequently asked questions

Is the UK still under GDPR after Brexit?

The UK has its own "UK GDPR" plus the Data Protection Act 2018, and as of 2026 the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 has amended them — so the UK is now a distinct regime, aligned with but no longer identical to the EU GDPR. UK compliance is increasingly its own analysis rather than a copy of your EU approach.

Do I need cookie consent for UK visitors?

Yes. The UK's PECR rules require consent before non-essential cookies and similar technologies are set, similar in spirit to the EU. The Data (Use and Access) Act relaxed some low-risk analytics rules, but consent-based cookie compliance remains the baseline for UK visitors.

UK Compliance: UK GDPR & the Data (Use and Access) Act

In this category

UK Cookie Law 2026: What PECR and the ICO’s New Guidance Actually Require

Meta Pixel GDPR Compliance: What EU and UK Websites Must Do in 2026

Frequently asked questions