Section 15Exemptions etc

(1) Schedules 2, 3 and 4 make provision for exemptions from, and restrictions and adaptations of the application of, rules of the [^F1UK GDPR].

(2) In Schedule 2—

(a)
Part 1 makes provision adapting or restricting the application of rules contained in Articles 13 to 21 and 34 of the [^F2UK GDPR] in specified circumstances [^F3(of a kind described in] Article 6(3) and Article 23(1) of the [^F4UK GDPR)];
(b)
Part 2 makes provision restricting the application of rules contained in Articles 13 to 21 and 34 of the [^F5UK GDPR] in specified circumstances [^F6(of a kind described in] Article 23(1) of the [^F7UK GDPR)];
(c)
Part 3 makes provision restricting the application of Article 15 of the [^F8UK GDPR] where this is necessary to protect the rights of others [^F9(of a kind described in] Article 23(1) of the [^F10UK GDPR)];
(d)
Part 4 makes provision restricting the application of rules contained in Articles 13 to 15 of the [^F11UK GDPR] in specified circumstances [^F12(of a kind described in] Article 23(1) of the [^F13UK GDPR)];
(e)
Part 5 makes provision containing exemptions or derogations from Chapters II, III, IV [^F14and V of the UK GDPR] for reasons relating to freedom of expression [^F15(of a kind described in Article 85(2) of the UK GDPR)];
(f)
Part 6 makes provision containing derogations from rights contained in Articles 15, 16, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the [^F16UK GDPR] for scientific or historical research purposes, statistical purposes and archiving purposes ^F17....

(3) Schedule 3 makes provision restricting the application of rules contained in Articles 13 to 21 of the [^F18UK GDPR] to health, social work, education and child abuse data [^F19(of a kind described in] Article 23(1) of the [^F20UK GDPR)].

(4) Schedule 4 makes provision restricting the application of rules contained in Articles 13 to 21 of the [^F21UK GDPR] to information the disclosure of which is prohibited or restricted by an enactment [^F22(of a kind described in] Article 23(1) of the [^F23UK GDPR)].

(4A) [^F24 In connection with the manual unstructured processing of personal data held by an FOI public authority, see Chapter 3 of this Part (sections 21, 24 and 25).]

(5) In connection with the safeguarding of national security and with defence, see Chapter 3 of this Part [^F25(sections 26 to 28)].

Amended text

This Section is shown as amended by S.I. 2019/419 (see the annotations below), as incorporated in the text in force on 5 November 2026 as published on legislation.gov.uk.

Annotations

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 15(1) 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. 19(2) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F2 Words in s. 15(2)(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. 19(3)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F3 Words in s. 15(2)(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. 19(3)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F4 Words in s. 15(2)(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. 19(3)(c) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F5 Words in s. 15(2)(b) 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. 19(4)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F6 Words in s. 15(2)(b) 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. 19(4)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F7 Words in s. 15(2)(b) 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. 19(4)(c) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F8 Words in s. 15(2)(c) 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. 19(5)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F9 Words in s. 15(2)(c) 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. 19(5)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F10 Words in s. 15(2)(c) 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. 19(5)(c) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F11 Words in s. 15(2)(d) 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. 19(6)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F12 Words in s. 15(2)(d) 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. 19(6)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F13 Words in s. 15(2)(d) 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. 19(6)(c) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F14 Words in s. 15(2)(e) 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. 19(7)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F15 Words in s. 15(2)(e) 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. 19(7)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F16 Words in s. 15(2)(f) 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. 19(8)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F17 Words in s. 15(2)(f) 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. 19(8)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F18 Words in s. 15(3) 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. 19(9)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F19 Words in s. 15(3) 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. 19(9)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F20 Words in s. 15(3) 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. 19(9)(c) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F21 Words in s. 15(4) 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. 19(10)(a) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F22 Words in s. 15(4) 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. 19(10)(b) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F23 Words in s. 15(4) 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. 19(10)(c) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F24 S. 15(4A) 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. 19(11) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F25 Words in s. 15(5) 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. 19(12) (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 15 in force at 25.5.2018 by S.I. 2018/625, reg. 2(1)(b)

https://dpa2018.digiphile.law/article/article-15.html

Text as at 5 November 2026.

This is an unofficial convenience version of the Data Protection Act 2018. It is presented “as is” without guarantee of accuracy, completeness or reliability. See the source text for the official version. This site was last updated in November 2026.