Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation) (Text with EEA relevance) (c. 679)

CHAPTER IX U.K. Provisions relating to [F1 other] specific processing situations

Article 85 U.K. Processing and freedom of expression and information

F2 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. For processing carried out for journalistic purposes or the purpose of academic artistic or literary expression, [F3 the Secretary of State may] provide for exemptions or derogations from Chapter II (principles), Chapter III (rights of the data subject), Chapter IV (controller and processor), Chapter V (transfer of personal data to third countries or international organisations), Chapter VI ([F4 the Commissioner]) F5 ... and Chapter IX (specific data processing situations) if they are necessary to reconcile F6 ... the protection of personal data with the freedom of expression and information.

[F7 2A. The Secretary of State may exercise the power under paragraph 2 of this Article only by making regulations under section 16 of the 2018 Act.]

F8 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F2 Art. 85(1) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 64(2) (with reg. 5, Sch. 1 para. 80); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F3 Words in Art. 85(2) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 64(3)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F4 Words in Art. 85(2) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 64(3)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F5 Words in Art. 85(2) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 64(3)(c) (with reg. 5, Sch. 1 para. 80); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F6 Words in Art. 85(2) omitted (31.12.2023 immediately before the end of 2023) by virtue of The Data Protection (Fundamental Rights and Freedoms) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1417), regs. 1(2), 2(7)

F7 Art. 85(2A) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 64(4) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F8 Art. 85(3) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 64(5) (with reg. 5, Sch. 1 para. 80); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

Article 86 U.K. Processing and public access to official documents

[F9 1.] Personal data in official documents held by a public authority or a public body or a private body for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest may be disclosed by the authority or body in accordance with [F10 domestic law] to which the public authority or body is subject in order to reconcile public access to official documents with F11 ... the protection of personal data pursuant to this Regulation.

[F12 2. Chapter 3 of Part 2 of the 2018 Act makes provision about the application of this Regulation to the manual unstructured processing of personal data held by an FOI public authority (as defined in Article 2).]

Textual Amendments

F9 Art. 86 renumbered as Art. 86(1) (31.12.2020) by The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 65(2) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F10 Words in Art. 86(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 65(3) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F11 Words in Art. 86(1) omitted (31.12.2023 immediately before the end of 2023) by virtue of The Data Protection (Fundamental Rights and Freedoms) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1417), regs. 1(2), 2(8)

F12 Art. 86(2) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 65(4) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

[F13 Article 86A U.K. Processing and national security and defence

Chapter 3 of Part 2 of the 2018 Act makes provision about the application of this Regulation where processing is carried out, or exemption from a provision of this Regulation is required, for the purposes of safeguarding national security or for defence purposes.]

Textual Amendments

F13 Art. 86A inserted (31.12.2020) by The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 66 (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F14 Article 87 U.K. Processing of the national identification number

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Textual Amendments

F14 Art. 87 omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 67 (with reg. 5, Sch. 1 para. 80); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F15 Article 88 U.K. Processing in the context of employment

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Textual Amendments

F15 Art. 88 omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 68 (with reg. 5, Sch. 1 para. 80); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F16 Article 89 U.K. Safeguards and derogations relating to processing for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes

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Textual Amendments

F16 Art. 89 omitted (5.2.2026) by virtue of Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 86(4), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(n)

F17 Article 90 U.K. Obligations of secrecy

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Textual Amendments

F17 Art. 90 omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 70 (with reg. 5, Sch. 1 para. 80); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F18 Article 91 U.K. Existing data protection rules of churches and religious associations

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Textual Amendments

F18 Art. 91 omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/419), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 71 (with reg. 5, Sch. 1 para. 80); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in Ch. 9 heading inserted (5.2.2026) by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 86(3), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(n)