UK Data Bill Signals Evolution in AI and Privacy Rules

The U.K.’s new data protection bill signals a measured shift in the country’s privacy policy. Rather than rewrite the rulebook, it makes targeted adjustments to existing laws -altering how organisations approach artificial intelligence, automated decisions and cookie consent, while preserving the U.K.’s data-sharing agreement with the EU. Edward Machin, counsel at Ropes & Gray, described the bill as “evolution, not revolution,” pointing to a more flexible framework that carries long-term consequences.

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Among the key changes, the bill relaxes restrictions on automated decision-making, allowing some AI-driven profiling outside the bounds of Article 22 of the U.K. General Data Protection Regulation. It also raises the ceiling for fines tied to cookie use and electronic marketing, and introduces a new obligation for organizations to manage complaints internally before they escalate to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the U.K.’s data regulator. While the bill sidesteps final rulings on AI transparency and copyright infringement, the government is now required to clarify its position in the coming year.

“What the act will do is kind of tweak the GDPR and certain provisions that that the U.K. government thinks are either slightly too onerous or could be used to enable greater innovation, security and so on,” Machin said.

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group, Machin discussed:

• The U.K.’s strategy for maintaining EU adequacy while revising domestic data rules;




• Legal uncertainty surrounding AI transparency and copyright obligations;
• How internal policies and AI literacy can help reduce compliance risk with generative AI tools.

Machin is counsel in the data, privacy and cybersecurity group at Ropes & Gray, based in London. He provides clear and business-focused advice on a wide range of legal and regulatory issues in the rapidly evolving areas of privacy, data protection and security, e-commerce and marketing, and information law. Secondments at data-rich businesses in the life sciences and market research sectors have given him a deep understanding of what clients want – and these experiences inform his approach to providing practical legal and commercial solutions to organisations across Europe, U.S. and Asia.