UK GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 as it forms part of UK law) and the Data Protection Act 2018
Below is what the official text of UK GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 as it forms part of UK law) and the Data Protection Act 2018 states about whom it covers, when it applies to a business and since when. Where the pages we read do not say, the row says "not stated".
The wording shown is taken from the official page named in each row. The duties of a business and the contents of a privacy notice are in the paid checklist.
Typical situations, run through the same conditions as the check
- A for-profit business established in United Kingdom: Applies, or may apply: conditions to check.
- A US business with users in United Kingdom: Applies, or may apply: conditions to check.
- A US business with no users in United Kingdom: Not triggered by these answers.
Judged on 2026-10-06. Our law data was last verified on 2026-10-06; a law that took effect after that date is not in it. These situations leave other answers blank or neutral: use the check for your own.
What the official text states
| Question | What the official text states | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Lays down rules relating to the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of personal data.Official wordingThis Regulation lays down rules relating to the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and rules relating to the free movement of personal data. | www.legislation.gov.uk read 2026-10-06 |
| When it applies to a business | Applies to processing in the context of an establishment of a controller or processor in the United Kingdom, and to relevant processing of data subjects in the UK by controllers/processors not established in the UK where related to offering goods or services to them or monitoring their behaviour in the UK. Conditions to check: DPA 2018 s.207(7) widens what counts as an establishment in the UK. 'Relevant processing' excludes processing described in Art. 2(1)(a) or (b) or (1A). Art. 2 exemptions (e.g. household activity) not read. No size or revenue threshold. Official wordingThis Regulation applies to the processing of personal data in the context of the activities of an establishment of a controller or a processor in | www.legislation.gov.uk read 2026-10-06 |
| In force from | Not stated on the official pages we read. No official page we read states a start date for the UK GDPR's application to businesses (only amendment dates of 31.12.2020 in footnotes). | — |
| Privacy notice | Included in the paid checklist. See the checklist | — |
| Consent and opt-out | Included in the paid checklist. See the checklist | — |
| Rights of individuals | Included in the paid checklist. See the checklist | — |
| Data protection officer | Included in the paid checklist. See the checklist | — |
| Breach notification | Included in the paid checklist. See the checklist | — |
| What the privacy notice must contain | Included in the paid checklist. See the checklist | — |
What we do not cover
These areas are outside this site, so nothing on this page says anything about them:
- Privacy laws for particular sectors (for example health care, banking and credit, education)
- Rules specific to children's online privacy
- Cookie and electronic-communications rules (including consent for cookies and marketing messages)
- Employee, job applicant and contractor data
- Rules on sending personal data to other countries
- US state data-breach notification laws (a separate set of state laws)
- US state privacy laws that are not yet in force, and state laws on particular topics (for example biometric or health data)
- Privacy laws of countries that are not listed here
- Planned changes to the laws listed here