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EmailAn attempt to invade LGBTQ+ people’s privacy has been prevented in a move welcomed by Stonewall.
The Government's flagship Data (Use and Access) Act has, today, become law after attempts to hijack the bill, as part of the ongoing campaign to target the privacy of trans people, were prevented.
The amendments, if they had been successful, would have forced trans people to declare their sex at birth in every day situations where it is not relevant, such as when hiring a car or buying a house. As the Minister for Data Protection and Telecomms Chris Bryant said in Parliament: “if somebody is applying to rent a property, the landlord should not have to know both sex at birth and gender. That is an inappropriate invasion of people’s privacy.”
Stonewall and parliamentarians actively sought to prevent the bill being used as a vehicle to target members of the community; regularly discussing the detrimental impact these amendments would have on the trans community and calling for them to be resisted.
The Bill received Royal Assent and became law today.
Simon Blake, CEO of Stonewall, said:
Everyone deserves an equal right to privacy as they go about their day-to-day lives. Any attempt to invade the privacy of a marginalised group, such as trans people in this case, should be resisted.
Amidst the ongoing roll back of rights for the LGBTQ+ community, preventing any attempt to undermine the rights of trans people is incredibly important. During Pride season, I'm proud of the work we did with parliamentarians to ensure this important piece of legislation protects everybody.”
The Data Bill, which was first introduced to Parliament in October 2024, has been stuck in limbo between the two Houses due to various amendments, including those targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
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At Stonewall, we're committed to delivering legislative change which makes a difference to the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Read more about our campaigns here.
