Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Data protection definition

What does Data protection mean? In legal practice, data protection describes the rules governing how organisations collect, use, share, retain and secure personal data, including employees’ information. In the UK this regime is set by the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018; in Ireland by the EU GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 (Ireland). The label is descriptive; core concepts (personal data, controller, processor, special category data) and obligations are defined in legislation. In employment, the employer is typically the controller and must identify a lawful basis (for example, contract, legal obligation or legitimate interests) and, for special category data,...

UK GDPR territorial scope: establishment, goods or services and monitoring tests; enforcement and UK representative requirements

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Practice notes

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This Practice Note explores the territorial reach of the regime set by the United Kingdom General Data protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Assimilated Regulation (EU) 2016/679. It also outlines when a UK representative must be designated. For high-level introductions to UK data protection, see Practice Notes: Data protection law—new starter guide and The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The UK data protection law collection assembles further general guidance on the UK GDPR framework and is a recommended place to begin research.

In brief

In outline, and subject to certain limited exceptions, the UK GDPR may apply to:

processing of personal data undertaken in connection with the activities of a controller’s or processor’s establishment in the UK, irrespective of whether the processing itself occurs inside or outside the UK
processing personal data of data subjects in the UK by a controller or processor with no UK establishment, where the processing is linked to:
- offering Goods or services to such data subjects in the UK (whether or not payment by the data subject is required), or
- Monitoring their behaviour...

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Aaron Simpson

Hunton Andrews Kurth

Aaron Simpson is a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth and leader on the firm’s Global Privacy and Cybersecurity team. He advises clients on a broad range of complex data protection, privacy and cybersecurity matters, including international and US federal and state privacy and data security requirements. His work ranges from advising clients on large-scale cybersecurity incidents to the development of cross-border data transfer solutions, compliance with existing and emerging data protection requirements in Europe, and negotiating data-driven commercial agreements. Aaron is well known as a top privacy professional and has been recognized by Chambers and Partners, Computerworld and The Legal 500 for his work on behalf of clients. Aaron is the only lawyer listed in both The Legal 500 United Kingdom and The Legal 500 United States guides, providing clients with a broad and unique transatlantic perspective on privacy, data...

Bridget Treacy

Hunton Andrews Kurth

Bridget Treacy is a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth. Her practice focuses on all aspects of privacy, data protection, information governance and e-commerce issues for multinational companies across a broad range of industry sectors. She advises clients on the EU General Data Protection Regulation that is transforming Europe’s privacy landscape. Other key experience includes big data and analytics, cloud computing, cross-border data transfers and BCRs, behavioural targeting and data breach. She has structured and implemented global privacy and data management compliance programs. Bridget is one of the few UK lawyers with deep, practical experience of advising on EU data protection, cybersecurity and data breach issues. She also has wide-ranging experience advising on outsourcing agreements, strategic alliances, shared services arrangements and technology licensing. She is the editor of the specialist privacy journal “Privacy and Data Protection”, and has contributed to a number of...

Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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