Reform UK proposes replacing UK GDPR with New Zealand-style privacy laws

Reform UK has announced a plan to abolish the current UK GDPR, proposing to replace it with a lighter privacy regime modeled after New Zealand’s laws. Party leader Nigel Farage and economy chief Robert Jenrick stated the move is intended to support small businesses and tech firms by reducing what they describe as suffocating EU-derived red tape.

The proposed New Zealand model differs significantly from the current UK regime in terms of enforcement and individual rights. While the UK Information Commissioner can issue multi-million-pound fines, the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 caps penalties at NZ$50,000. Additionally, the current UK and EU regulations provide broader rights, such as the ‘right to be forgotten,’ which are not present in the New Zealand framework.

Alongside these policy proposals, Reform UK is actively attempting to court the business community. The party has engaged in a series of meetings with executives from the finance, energy, and tech sectors to promote its radical government plans ahead of its upcoming party conference in Birmingham.