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Data access and data sharing rules

10 regulations worldwide that deal with data access and sharing, with every phased deadline and the official source for each.

  • In forcePrivacyData access and sharing

    Next: Sep 30, 2026 ICO abolished; Information Commission takes over

  • EnactedPrivacyData access and sharing

    Next: Dec 24, 2026 Member States must provide EU Digital Identity Wallets

  • EU Data Act

    European Union

    In forceData access and sharingPrivacy

    Next: Jan 12, 2027 Cloud switching charges abolished

  • In forcePrivacyData access and sharing

    Next: Jan 31, 2027 Annual data broker registration deadline

  • EnactedHealth dataPrivacy

    Next: Mar 26, 2027 EHDS general application date

  • GDPR

    European Union

    AmendedPrivacyBreach notification

    Next: Apr 2, 2027 GDPR Procedural Regulation applies

  • In forceCybersecurityData residency

    Effective Sep 1, 2021

  • Data Governance Act

    European Union

    AmendedData access and sharingPrivacy

    Effective Jun 23, 2022

  • Digital Markets Act

    European Union

    In forceData access and sharingPrivacy

    Effective Nov 1, 2022

  • ProposedPrivacyData access and sharing

Upcoming deadlines

September 20261 deadline

  1. ICO abolished; Information Commission takes over

    Sections 118-119 commence: office of Information Commissioner abolished and functions transferred to the Information Commission (Commencement No. 9 Regulations 2026).

    Takes effectin 6 daysSource

December 20261 deadline

  1. Member States must provide EU Digital Identity Wallets

    Each Member State must provide at least one wallet within 24 months of the entry into force of the implementing acts under Arts 5a(23) and 5c(6) (Art 5a(1)).

    Compliance deadlinein 3 monthsSource

January 20272 deadlines

  1. EU Data Act

    Cloud switching charges abolished

    Providers of data processing services may no longer impose any switching charges on customers (Art 29(1)).

    Compliance deadlinein 4 monthsSource
  2. Annual data broker registration deadline

    Data brokers must renew registration with CalPrivacy by January 31 following each year they meet the definition.

    Reportingin 4 monthsSource

March 20271 deadline

  1. EHDS general application date

    The regulation applies generally from 26 Mar 2027, subject to the phased exceptions below (final article).

    Takes effectin 6 monthsSource

April 20271 deadline

  1. GDPR

    GDPR Procedural Regulation applies

    Harmonised rules for cross-border complaint admissibility, rights to be heard and access to preliminary findings, and investigation timelines apply to DPAs from 2 April 2027 (Regulation (EU) 2025/2518, final article).

    Enforcementin 6 monthsSource

September 20271 deadline

  1. EU Data Act

    Unfair-terms rules extend to older long-term contracts

    Chapter IV (unfair contractual terms) applies to contracts concluded on or before 12 Sep 2025 that are of indefinite duration or expire at least 10 years from 11 Jan 2024 (Art 50).

    Compliance deadlinein 12 monthsSource

December 20271 deadline

  1. Private relying parties must accept wallets

    Private relying parties required by law or contract to use strong user authentication must accept wallets on user request within 36 months of the implementing acts' entry into force (Art 5f(2)).

    Compliance deadlinein 15 monthsSource

January 20281 deadline

  1. Independent third-party audits begin

    Beginning Jan 1, 2028 and every 3 years thereafter, data brokers must undergo an independent audit of Delete Act compliance.

    Compliance deadlinein 15 monthsSource

September 20281 deadline

  1. EU Data Act

    Commission evaluation

    Commission evaluation report due, including the impact of cloud switching rules (Arts 23-31) (Art 49(2)).

    Reportingin 24 monthsSource

March 20291 deadline

  1. Primary use for first data categories; secondary use framework applies

    Patient rights and EHR rules apply to patient summaries, ePrescriptions and eDispensations (Art 14(1)(a)-(c)). Chapter IV secondary-use rules (data permits, Health Data Access Bodies) apply.

    Compliance deadlinein 2.5 yearsSource

March 20311 deadline

  1. Primary use for second data categories; EHR systems in service; extra secondary-use categories

    Primary-use rules extend to medical images, lab results and discharge reports (Art 14(1)(d)-(f)). Chapter III applies to EHR systems put into service under Art 26(2). Additional secondary-use categories in Art 51(1)(b),(f),(g),(m),(p) apply.

    Compliance deadlinein 4.5 yearsSource

March 20351 deadline

  1. Third-country participation in secondary use

    Art 75(5) applies from 26 Mar 2035.

    Takes effectin 8.5 yearsSource

Past deadlines

September 20261 deadline

  1. EU Data Act

    Access-by-design for new connected products

    Art 3(1) design obligation (product data and related service data accessible to the user by default) applies to connected products and related services placed on the market after 12 Sep 2026.

    Compliance deadline12 days agoSource

August 20261 deadline

  1. Data brokers must begin processing DROP deletion requests

    Brokers must access DROP at least every 45 days, process verified deletion requests within 45 days, and treat unverified requests as opt-outs of sale/sharing.

    Compliance deadline54 days agoSource

June 20261 deadline

  1. Mandatory data protection complaints procedure

    Controllers must have a process for data subject complaints (s.103 and Sch. 10), per Commencement No. 6 Regulations 2026, reg. 3.

    Compliance deadline3 months agoSource

May 20261 deadline

  1. Legacy qualified trust service providers conformity report

    QTSPs qualified before 20 May 2024 had to submit a conformity assessment report proving compliance with Art 24(1), (1a) and (1b) by 21 May 2026.

    Compliance deadline4 months agoSource

February 20261 deadline

  1. Stage 3: main data protection changes commence

    Recognised legitimate interests, ADM reforms, DSAR changes, international transfer test, cookie exemptions and PECR fines at UK GDPR levels apply (Commencement No. 6 Regulations 2026, reg. 2).

    Takes effect8 months agoSource

January 20263 deadlines

  1. Annual data broker registration deadline

    Data brokers must register with CalPrivacy and pay the annual fee ($6,000 for 2026) by January 31.

    Reporting8 months agoSource
  2. GDPR

    GDPR Procedural Regulation enters into force

    Regulation (EU) 2025/2518, published in the OJ on 12 December 2025, enters into force on the twentieth day after publication.

    Transition9 months agoSource
  3. DROP opens to consumers

    Consumers can submit a single deletion request to all registered data brokers through DROP.

    Takes effect9 months agoSource

November 20251 deadline

  1. GDPR

    GDPR Procedural Regulation adopted

    Regulation (EU) 2025/2518 laying down additional procedural rules for cross-border GDPR enforcement signed by Parliament and Council.

    Transition10 months agoSource

September 20253 deadlines

  1. Data Governance Act

    Legacy data intermediaries must comply

    Entities that were already providing data intermediation services on 23 June 2022 had to comply with Chapter III by 24 Sep 2025 (Art 37).

    Compliance deadline12 months agoSource
  2. EU Data Act

    Member States notify penalty rules

    Member States had to notify the Commission of their penalty rules (Art 40(2)).

    Reporting12 months agoSource
  3. EU Data Act

    Data Act applies

    Most obligations apply, including user data access and sharing (Chapters II-III), cloud switching (Chapter VI) and interoperability; Chapter IV unfair terms apply to contracts concluded after this date (Art 50).

    Takes effect12 months agoSource

August 20251 deadline

  1. Stage 1 commencement

    Technical data protection provisions, ICO statutory objects, Smart Data framework (Part 1) and AI/copyright reporting duties commence (Commencement No. 1 Regulations 2025).

    Takes effect13 months agoSource

June 20251 deadline

  1. Royal Assent

    The Act receives Royal Assent; commencement staged by regulations.

    Takes effect15 months agoSource

March 20251 deadline

  1. EHDS enters into force

    Regulation (EU) 2025/327, published 5 Mar 2025, enters into force on the twentieth day following publication.

    Takes effect18 months agoSource

December 20241 deadline

  1. First wallet implementing acts enter into force

    Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2024/2977, 2024/2979, 2024/2980, 2024/2981 and 2024/2982 (adopted 28 Nov 2024, published 4 Dec 2024) enter into force. This starts the wallet deadline clocks in Arts 5a and 5f.

    Takes effect21 months agoSource

May 20241 deadline

  1. eIDAS 2 enters into force

    Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 entered into force on the twentieth day after publication on 30 Apr 2024 (Art 2).

    Takes effect2.3 years agoSource

March 20241 deadline

  1. Digital Markets Act

    Gatekeeper compliance deadline (first designations)

    First-wave gatekeepers had to comply with Arts 5-7 obligations and submit compliance reports six months after the 6 Sep 2023 designation.

    Compliance deadline2.5 years agoSource

January 20242 deadlines

  1. EU Data Act

    Reduced switching charges period begins

    From 11 Jan 2024 to 12 Jan 2027, data processing providers may charge only reduced switching fees, capped at costs directly linked to switching (Art 29(2)-(3)).

    Transition2.7 years agoSource
  2. EU Data Act

    Data Act enters into force

    Entered into force on the twentieth day after publication in the OJ on 22 Dec 2023 (Art 50).

    Takes effect2.7 years agoSource

September 20232 deadlines

  1. Data Governance Act

    DGA applies

    All DGA rules apply (Art 38).

    Takes effect3 years agoSource
  2. Digital Markets Act

    First six gatekeepers designated

    Commission designated Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft (22 core platform services). They had six months to fully comply.

    Enforcement3 years agoSource

May 20231 deadline

  1. Digital Markets Act

    DMA applies

    DMA becomes applicable; undertakings meeting thresholds must notify the Commission within two months (Arts 3(3), 54).

    Takes effect3.4 years agoSource

November 20221 deadline

  1. Digital Markets Act

    DMA enters into force

    Entered into force twenty days after publication; certain procedural articles apply from this date (Art 54).

    Takes effect3.9 years agoSource

June 20221 deadline

  1. Data Governance Act

    DGA enters into force

    Entered into force on the twentieth day after publication in OJ L 152 of 3 June 2022 (Art 38).

    Takes effect4.3 years agoSource

September 20211 deadline

  1. Data Security Law takes effect

    Data classification, important-data protection and data export restrictions apply (Art. 55).

    Takes effect5.1 years agoSource

May 20181 deadline

  1. GDPR

    GDPR applies

    All GDPR obligations apply from 25 May 2018 (Art 99(2)), replacing Directive 95/46/EC.

    Takes effect8.3 years agoSource

May 20161 deadline

  1. GDPR

    GDPR enters into force

    Regulation entered into force on the twentieth day after publication in OJ L 119 of 4 May 2016 (Art 99(1)).

    Takes effect10.3 years agoSource

When the rules change: new data, privacy and AI laws and deadlines, the next morning.