Countering Russian influence in the UK
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK has applied sanctions and changed rules around visas and corporate transparency to counter Russian influence.

The Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL] is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Commons on 12 February 2025.
Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL] (1 MB , PDF)
The Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL] was introduced in the House of Lords on 23 October 2024 where it completed its stages on 5 February 2025. The bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 6 February 2025. Second reading is scheduled for 12 February 2025.
The bill is broadly similar to two earlier bills introduced under previous Conservative governments, neither of which progressed.
The government has said the bill has three core objectives:
According to the government, the bill would “harness the enormous power of data to boost the UK economy by £10 billion, and free up millions of police and NHS staff hours”. It would “unlock the secure and effective use of data for the public interest, without adding pressures to the country’s finances”. A government press release has said the bill’s measures will be central to delivering three of the government’s five missions to “rebuild Britain”:
The government has published factsheets on the bill’s objectives:
The bill has seven parts:
Data protection is a reserved matter so the bill’s changes to the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation would extend to the whole of the UK, apart from one provision relating to the Information Commission’s seal, which does not extend to Scotland.
Other provisions in the bill would require legislative consent motions from the devolved administrations – for example, in relation to smart data. Annex A to the explanatory notes gives detailed information on the bill’s territorial extent and application.
The government has published supporting documents on the bill, including several impact assessments, a delegated powers memorandum, and a European Convention on Human Rights memorandum.
The bill [HL Bill 40] (PDF) was originally introduced in the House of Lords on 23 October 2024. It had its second reading in the Lords on 19 November 2024. The bill was considered in committee over four sittings between 3 December and 18 December 2024.
Report stage took place on 21 and 28 January 2025. The government was defeated on amendments relating to:
The bill had its third reading in the Lords on 5 February 2025. A government amendment was agreed that would protect children’s personal data and ensure that online services likely to be accessed by children would be designed with their safety and privacy in mind.
Also at third reading, the Lords considered another government amendment to introduce an offence of creating of ‘deepfake’ intimate images without consent. It was agreed, but only after it had been amended (through amendments moved by Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge) to include an offence of soliciting creation, remove a defence of reasonable excuse, and allow for a custodial sentence as well as a fine.
The Information Commissioner (ICO) is responsible for promoting and enforcing UK data protection law. The ICO has said the bill’s proposed changes “are pragmatic and proportionate amendments to the UK regulatory landscape”. These would “align well with the ICO’s enduring objectives and provide sufficient flexibility” for the ICO to respond to regulatory challenges.
Tech UK, the technology and trade association, has said the bill is “a welcome effort from the new government to unlock the power of data and marks an important step in modernising the UK’s data protection framework”.
The Direct Marketing Association, the UK trade association for the data and marketing industry, has said it fully supports the “government’s vision to unlock the power of data to grow the economy and improve people’s lives”.
The Open Rights Group, an organisation campaigning to protect digital rights and privacy, has said the bill is “a positive development and a step in the right direction”. However, the group has concerns about some of the bill’s provisions, particularly in relation to the use of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). It has sent an open letter to Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology asking the government to “scrap proposals to remove the right not to be subject to decisions made by automated or AI systems”.
Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL] (1 MB , PDF)
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK has applied sanctions and changed rules around visas and corporate transparency to counter Russian influence.
Debt levels affect how much households spend. Find the latest data on UK household debt, mortgage rates and insolvencies.
There will be a Westminster Hall debate on rural crime on 27 February 2025. The debate will be opened by Ben Maguire MP.