Our briefing shows how Henry VIII powers in the UK Data Bill will allow Ministers to change the law without proper Parliamentary scrutiny.

This threatens electoral integrity when the Party in office could fiddle the rules over the use of voter data at a time of their choosing, giving them an advantage – for example to allow practices that the ruling Party was ready to deploy.

Find out more

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/briefing-data-use-and-access-bill-henry-viii-powers-threaten-democracy-and-uk-adequacy/

Data profiling by UK Political Parties can put your privacy at risk and threaten electoral integrity.

But data protection hands power back to voters

ORG has developed a tool for you to opt-out of data processing by the Parties (UK).

Find out more

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/opt-out-political-parties-processing-your-data-0

This not just about how our data is used, it’s about the future of our democracy.

The UK government must act to prevent future abuses of power through the Data Bill.

We call for the Bill to be amended, so secondary legislation to create a new legitimate interest can't be applied to Political Parties.

ORG's report highlighted the challenges in enforcing how UK Political Parties use our data.

We raised concerns about the privacy and security of canvassing apps used by the Parties, and raised the question of whether voters’ data is being used unlawfully.

The Data Bill risks making the situation worse by granting Ministers powers to change the rules in a way that sidesteps Parliament.

Read more

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/moral-hazard-voter-data-privacy-and-politics-in-election-canvassing-apps/

The Data Bill strips back your right to human review of automated decisions that have life-changing impacts.

It flips the script, forcing you to prove a mistake has been made when AI gets it wrong – the scales of justice further imbalanced.

Sign our petition

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ai-says-no-tell-keir-starmer-that-people-not-machines-should-oversee-life-changing-decisions

Even the limitation on automated decision-making using 'special category data' could be sidestepped by relying on the loophole of 'authorised by law' in the UK Data Bill.

The letter warns that "police will be able to conduct ADM without limitation and to conduct ADM involving sensitive data with very few limitations."

Automated decisions could be made in policing "on the basis of their socioeconomic status, regional or postcode data, inferred emotions, or even regional accents."

The UK Data Bill puts marginalised groups at risk of opaque and unfair automated decisions that replicate inherent biases in the data.

The UK Data Use and Access Bill strips away your right to not be subjected to life-changing decisions made solely by AI, apart from where special category data is used.

But, as the letter says, "there are many contexts in which non-special category personal data acts as a proxy for protected characteristics."

Any changes to how Political Parties use our data must be properly scrutinised by the UK Parliament.

The UK Data Use and Access Bill must be amended, so a statutory instrument to create a recognised legitimate interest for sharing personal data can’t be applied to Political Parties.

Read more

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releases/democracy-groups-warn-of-threat-henry-viii-powers-pose-to-future-election-integrity/

“A few months before the General Election, Lucy Powell MP, now the Leader of the House, talked of Labour’s commitment to “doing legislation better”, with “better planning, better drafting and better scrutiny”.

The Henry VIII powers contained in the Bill mean the DUA Bill [UK] fails to deliver on those commitments. It must be amended so that it does.”

Tom Brake – Director of Unlock Democracy.

“Political Parties are stuck in an arms race as to how they can use data to reach and influence potential voters in order to win elections.

It’s therefore vital that there are clear and fair rules for how Political Parties are allowed to use our data."

@JamesBaker – ORG Programme Manager on Henry VIII powers in the UK Data Use and Access Bill.

If changes were made before an election, there may be insufficient time for the Information Commissioner's Office or Electoral Commission to issue guidance to Political Parties on any new ‘recognised legitimate interest’ basis to process voter data for election purposes.

This could undermine the integrity of a UK General Election.

The UK Data Use and Access Bill gives the Secretary of State discretion to determine and vary the conditions under which personal data can be processed

These changes could be timed to the advantage of the governing Party over its opponents

Read our letter https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/joint-letter-henry-viii-powers-in-data-use-and-access-bill-could-undermine-election-integrity/