The ICO has published a statement in response to the Government laying the Data Sharing Code of Practice before Parliament on 18 May 2021. The ICO says that its new Data Sharing Code of Practice aims to “give businesses and organisations the confidence to share data in a fair, safe and transparent way”. It also “dispels many of the remaining myths about data sharing”. The code will guide organisations through the practical steps they need to take to share data while protecting people’s privacy.

The ICO says that data sharing must engender trust in how personal data is used in order to drive innovation, economic growth and the delivery of more efficient and targeted services. In the ICO’s view, data sharing will be central to the UK’s recovery.

The ICO says that it will continue to engage with organisations and other stakeholders as part of its ongoing work on addressing perceived barriers to data sharing.

The Data Sharing Code of Practice will lay before Parliament for 40 sitting days before coming into force. To read the ICO’s statement in full and for a link to the new Code, click here.