Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes by technology companies to data protection features available in their products on consumers; and what steps he is taking to protect consumers’ data privacy.

The UK’s data protection legislation applies to technology companies providing services to people in the UK, if they are processing personal data. The legislation sets out general rules on how such data should be processed and safeguarded. This includes ensuring that any processing is lawful, fair and transparent. Organisations must also carry out a data protection impact assessment, when processing activities involving new technologies that are likely to result in a high risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms. The legislation is independently regulated by the Information Commissioner's Office. We recently strengthened their powers in the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 to help them investigate suspected breaches of the legislation.