Data Protection Act 2018 (c. 12) – Section 33 – Other definitions
Sections
Section 33Other definitions
(1) This section defines certain other expressions used in this Part.
(2) “Employee”, in relation to any person, includes an individual who holds a position (whether paid or unpaid) under the direction and control of that person.
(3) “Personal data breach” means a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed.
(4) “Profiling” means any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to an individual, in particular to analyse or predict aspects concerning that individual's performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behaviour, location or movements.
(5) “Recipient”, in relation to any personal data, means any person to whom the data is disclosed, whether a third party or not, but it does not include a public authority to whom disclosure is or may be made in the framework of a particular inquiry in accordance with the law.
(6) “Restriction of processing” means the marking of stored personal data with the aim of limiting its processing for the future.
Amended text
This Section is shown as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), among other instruments (see the annotations below) (commenced provisions as at 30 September 2026, ELI), as incorporated in the text in force on 30 September 2026 as published on legislation.gov.uk.
Annotations
Textual Amendments
- F1 S. 33(6A) inserted (20.8.2025) by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 74(3), 142(1); S.I. 2025/904, reg. 2(c)
- F2 Words in s. 33(7) 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. 37 (with reg. 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
Commencement Information
- I1 S. 33 in force at 25.5.2018 by S.I. 2018/625, reg. 2(1)(c)
https://dpa2018.digiphile.law/article/article-33.html
Text as at 18 September 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 September 2026.