Major concerns have been raised following the recent presentation of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), Nadine Dorries, a member of the British government cabinet.

Objections have been made by many sectors and individuals with it being described as the ‘Data Oligarchs Charter’ by the privacy campaigning organisation, the Open Rights Group.

Furthermore, it is claimed that:

• The bill turns the UK into a ‘global data laundering hub’, allowing data oligarchs to evade the rules by transferring data overseas without meaningful protections.
• The bill furthers the UK's slow drift into a ‘digital police state’, by allowing mass data sharing with law enforcement agencies without proper checks and balances.
• The bill undermines legal standards, disempower individuals, removes effective remedies and oversight against abuse.

Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said:

“In one of the hottest days of the year, Nadine Dorries has announced a bonfire of data rights.

“The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill turns up the heat on attacks on UK citizens’ fundamental rights and liberties. Undermining the rule of law, placing Ministers in charge of the regulator ICO (The Information Commissioner’s Office) and unleashing a new wave of Police surveillance powers.

“British businesses will be sweating as they try to get their heads around another costly and expensive change to the regulatory regime.

“This Data oligarchs charter will cheat workers out of their rights, increase regulatory costs for business, and will only benefit global tech companies.

“This bill will scrap important protections from prejudice and bias afforded to women, workers, patients, migrants, ethnic minorities, and vulnerable people and communities, and everyone else.

“This Bill will enshrine discrimination, bias and prejudice into UK law.”

A sad and shameful day for a nation that once represented honesty, truth and respect for the rights of the individual.

Nadine Dorries is widely considered to be one of the least competent but most loyal members of the current Johnson cabinet. Having been plucked from relative obscurity as a Member of Parliament (albeit she is well-known as the writer of romantic novels), her future role, if any, now hangs in the balance given Johnson's impending departure from No 10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister, early in September 2022.

For evidence of her failure to grasp the scope of her ministerial role, see 'Nadine and the Channel 5 de-nationalisation' and 'Nadine confuses the rugby codes'...widely available online!