UK issues draft rules to broaden the Protection of Personal Information regime

The UK government issued the Protection and Disclosure of Personal Information (Amendment) Regulations 2025 on 15 May to further extend the range of circumstances in which individuals can apply to the Registrar of Companies to protect their personal information where it appears on the public register were published in draft.

The draft regulations expand the existing protection regime by providing that provide that individuals can apply for the day of their date of birth, their signature and, in the case of directors of companies, their business occupation to be protected from public inspection.

They also amend the Companies (Disclosure of Address) Regulations 2009 to widen the protection of usual residential address regime to allow any individual to apply to have their usual residential address made unavailable for public inspection.

When fully in force, an individual will therefore have the right, subject to certain exceptions, to apply for their usual residential address, signature, day of date of birth and business occupation to be protected, without needing to justify the application or meet qualifying criteria.

It is intended that the regulations will come into force on 21 July 2025. If they are not made before 21 July 2025, they will come into force the day after they are made.