# Reform UK Plans to Scrap GDPR Farage aims to ease data protection laws he says suffocate small businesses. - **Source:** [www.theregister.com - Articles](https://brifing.si/source/2c34ea50-d341-4a10-925d-12c012a9ad10) - **Published:** 2026-08-26 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/d0804e4a-8733-471e-b2f6-198cab644527 ## Reform UK's GDPR Plan Reform UK party plans to scrap the UK GDPR, which it claims has strangled small businesses and tech firms with unnecessary regulations. Leader Nigel Farage proposes replacing it with a lighter system similar to New Zealand's approach. The UK GDPR replaced the post-Brexit Data Protection Act 2018 in 2021, granting authorities power to issue multi-million pound fines. New Zealand's Privacy Act 2020, by contrast, imposes maximum fines of NZ$50,000. ## Economic Pledges Farage pledges to abolish income tax on overtime pay for full-time workers, ease inheritance tax for farms, and raise the VAT registration threshold from £90,000 to £150,000. He also plans to modify the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme to facilitate parental investments in children's businesses and scrap the 2035 Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. The opposition dismisses these pledges as 'unworkable and unserious'. ## EU Adequacy Risk The UK must maintain its EU adequacy decision to enable free flow of personal data across borders. Major divergence from EU data protection laws could jeopardize this arrangement. Experts warn the EU might review its adequacy decision if UK significantly weakens data protections. Reform UK's plans lack clarity on how they would maintain data flows with the EU. ## Legal Troubles Reform UK itself faces a lawsuit from Good Law Project alleging UK GDPR violations. The case accuses the party of failing to disclose stored personal data and ignoring deletion requests. A High Court judge ruled the case should proceed to trial in June. The party declined to comment on its policy pledges when approached. ## Business Support Farage stated, 'Small businesses are the beating heart of our economy but have been suffocated by punishing taxes and bureaucracy.' Reform UK describes 6 million small businesses as 'the backbone of our economy' and promises full support. The party also vows to reverse the 2024 National Insurance increase announced by then-chancellor Rachel Reeves. ## Opposition Criticism Labour spokesperson called Reform UK's pledges 'detached from reality.' Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said implementing these policies would cost billions and noted lack of detail on GDPR replacement plans. Opposition also criticized Farage for accepting a £5 million donation from an overseas crypto-billionaire. ## GDPR History GDPR was created to update data protection laws for the social media and cloud computing era. Scandals like Cambridge Analytica highlighted the need to protect individuals' rights over their personal data. UK GDPR came into force in 2021 addressing these needs. Reform UK aims to make Britain a leader in emerging technologies like AI alongside scrapping GDPR. ## Other Parties' Approaches Labour has also planned UK GDPR modifications since 2024. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 eased restrictions on data-sharing between critical sectors and automated decision-making, while paving way for digital ID rollout. Multiple parties' differing approaches to GDPR reform reflect the ongoing balance between data protection and economic growth priorities. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.theregister.com/public-sector/2026/08/26/nigel-farage-wants-to-scrap-suffocating-uk-gdpr/5292540 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._