Section 3 | Terms relating to the processing of personal data

From legislation.gov.uk

(1)This section defines some terms used in this Act.

(2)“Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual (subject to ).

(3)“Identifiable living individual” means a living individual who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to—

(a)an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data or an online identifier, or

(b)one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of the individual.

(4)“Processing”, in relation to information, means an operation or set of operations which is performed on information, or on sets of information, such as—

(a)collection, recording, organisation, structuring or storage,

(b)adaptation or alteration,

(c)retrieval, consultation or use,

(d)disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available,

(e)alignment or combination, or

(f)restriction, erasure or destruction,

(subject to subsection and sections , and , which make provision about references to processing in the different Parts of this Act).

(5)“Data subject” means the identified or identifiable living individual to whom personal data relates.

(6)“Controller” and “processor”, in relation to the processing of personal data to which ... Part , Part or Part applies, have the same meaning as in that ... Part (see sections 5, 6, 32 and 83 and see also subsection (14)(d)).^F1

(7)“Filing system” means any structured set of personal data which is accessible according to specific criteria, whether held by automated means or manually and whether centralised, decentralised or dispersed on a functional or geographical basis.

(8)“The Commissioner” means the Information Commissioner (see ).

(8A)“The Commission” means the Information Commission (see ).^F2

(9)“The data protection legislation” means—

(a)the UK GDPR,^F3

(b)Repealed^F4

(c)this Act, and^F5

(d)regulations made under this Act or the UK GDPR, ...^F6F7

(e)Repealed^F7

(10)“The UK GDPR” means 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), as it forms part of the law of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by virtue of section 3 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (and see ).^F8F9

(10A)“The EU GDPR” means Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27th April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation) as it has effect in EU law.^F10

(11)Repealed^F11

(12)“The Law Enforcement Directive” means Directive (EU) 2016/680 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 by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Council Framework Decision 2008/977/JHA.

(13)“The Data Protection Convention” means the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data which was opened for signature on 28 January 1981, as amended up to the day on which this Act is passed.

(14)In Parts to , except where otherwise provided—

(a)references to the UK GDPR are to the UK GDPR read with ;^F12

(b)Repealed^F13

(c)references to personal data, and the processing of personal data, are to personal data and processing to which ... Part , Part or Part applies;^F14

(d)references to a controller or processor are to a controller or processor in relation to the processing of personal data to which ... Part , Part or Part applies.^F15

(15)There is an index of defined expressions in .

Notes

F1
Words in 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. 2 para. 4(2) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F2
S. 3(8A) inserted (20.8.2025) by , ss. 117(3), ; S.I. 2025/904, reg. 2(r)
F3
S. 3(9)(a) 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. 2 para. 4(3)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F4
S. 3(9)(b) 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. 2 para. 4(3)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F5
Word in s. 3(9)(c) inserted (20.8.2025) by , s. , Sch. 11 para. 14(a); S.I. 2025/904, reg. 2(y)
F6
Words in s. 3(9)(d) inserted (20.8.2025) by , ss. , ; S.I. 2025/904, reg. 2(l)
F7
S. 3(9)(e) and word omitted (20.8.2025) by virtue of , s. , Sch. 11 para. 14(b); S.I. 2025/904, reg. 2(y)
F8
Words in 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. 2 para. 4(4)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F9
Words in 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. 2 para. 4(4)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F10
S. 3(10A) 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. 2 para. 4(5) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F11
S. 3(11) 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. 2 para. 4(6) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F12
S. 3(14)(a) 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. 2 para. 4(7)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F13
S. 3(14)(b) 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. 2 para. 4(7)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F14
Words in 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. 2 para. 4(7)(c) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F15
Words in 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. 2 para. 4(7)(c) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)