The government has laid a code of practice on data sharing, which aims to assist organisations in legally sharing data, before Parliament.

This is a statutory code of practice prepared under section 121 of the Data Protection Act 2018, which provides practical guidance for organisations about sharing personal data in a way that complies with data protection law. It explains the law and promotes good practice, whilst dispelling myths and misconceptions about data sharing.

Many organisations using this code of practice will have already shared data under the former data protection regime. The code should give them the knowledge and the confidence they need to continue sharing data under the UK GDPR and the DPA 2018 and assess how to share personal data in new projects and programmes. The code should be used to help review and, where necessary, update ongoing data sharing arrangements.

The code of practice:

• Updates and reflects key changes in data protection law since the last data sharing code was published (in particular from the UK GDPR and the DPA 2018).
• Explains new developments and their impact on data protection.
• References new areas to consider.
• Helps manage risks in sharing data, which are magnified if the quantity of data is large.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said:

“The new data sharing code aims to give businesses and organisations the confidence to share data in a fair, safe and transparent way, and it dispels many of the remaining myths about data sharing. The code will guide organisations through the practical steps they need to take to share data while protecting people’s privacy.

“Data sharing that engenders trust in how personal data is used is a driver of innovation, economic growth and the delivery of more efficient and targeted services. Looking beyond the immediate COVID-19 crisis, data sharing will be central to the UK’s recovery.

“The ICO will continue to engage with organisations and other stakeholders as part of our ongoing work on addressing perceived barriers to data sharing, helping them better understand how they can share information appropriately.”

The Data Sharing Code of Practice will lay before Parliament for 40 sitting days before coming into force.

Resources and practical tools are available on the ICO's data sharing information hub.