The Digital Economy Act 2017 (Commencement No. 2) (Northern Ireland) and Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2026

Made: 11th February 2026

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 118 (4) of the Digital Economy Act 2017[^f00001] and section 142 (1) of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025[^f00002].

Citation and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Digital Economy Act 2017 (Commencement No. 2) (Northern Ireland) and Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2026.

• (2) In these Regulations—

• “the 2017 Act” means the Digital Economy Act 2017;

• “the 2025 Act” means the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

Provisions of the 2017 Act coming into force on 12th February 2026

2

The following provisions of the 2017 Act come into force on 12th February 2026, in relation to Northern Ireland only—

• (a) section 35 (disclosure of information to improve public service delivery)[^f00003];

• (b) section 40 (further provisions about disclosures under any of sections 35 to 39)[^f00004];

• (c) section 41 (confidentiality of personal information)[^f00005];

• (d) section 42 (information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs);

• (e) section 43 (code of practice)[^f00006];

• (f) section 44 (regulations under Chapter 1 of Part 5)[^f00007];

• (g) section 45 (interpretation of Chapter 1 of Part 5 etc)[^f00008];

• (h) section 48 (disclosure of information to reduce debt owed to the public sector)[^f00009];

• (i) section 49 (further provisions about power in section 48)[^f00010];

• (j) section 50 (confidentiality of personal information)[^f00011];

• (k) section 51 (information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs);

• (l) section 52 (code of practice)[^f00012];

• (m) section 54 (regulations under Chapter 3 of Part 5);

• (n) section 55 (interpretation of Chapter 3 of Part 5);

• (o) section 56 (disclosure of information to combat fraud against the public sector)[^f00013];

• (p) section 57 (further provisions about power in section 56)[^f00014];

• (q) section 58 (confidentiality of personal information)[^f00015];

• (r) section 59 (information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs);

• (s) section 60 (code of practice)[^f00016];

• (t) section 62 (regulations under Chapter 4 of Part 5);

• (u) section 63 (interpretation of Chapter 4 of Part 5);

• (v) Schedule 4 (public service delivery: specified persons for the purposes of section 35)[^f00017];

• (w) Schedule 7 (specified persons for the purposes of the debt provisions)[^f00018];

• (x) Schedule 8 (specified persons for the purposes of the fraud provisions)[^f00019].

Provision of the 2025 Act coming into force on 12th February 2026

3

Section 123 of the 2025 Act (disclosure of information to improve public service delivery to undertakings) comes into force, so far as not already in force[^f00020], on 12th February 2026.

Signed

Ian Murray — Minister of State — Department for Science, Innovation and Technology — 11th February 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Explanatory Note

These Regulations bring into force specified provisions in the Digital Economy Act 2017 (“the 2017 Act”) and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (“the 2025 Act”).

Regulation 2 brings into force, in relation to Northern Ireland only, specified provisions in Part 5 (Digital Government) of the 2017 Act that relate to information-sharing powers for public authorities and other persons.

Regulation 3 brings into force section 123 of the 2025 Act, which amends the power in section 35 of the 2017 Act (disclosure of information to improve public service delivery) so that it may additionally be exercised to support businesses and bodies established for charitable purposes.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2017 c. 30.

[^f00002]: 2025 c. 18.

[^f00003]: Section 35 was amended by paragraph 18(2) of the Schedule to S.I. 2023/424.

[^f00004]: Section 40 was amended by paragraph 216 (2) and (3) of Schedule 19 to the Data Protection Act 2018 (c. 12).

[^f00005]: Section 41 was amended by paragraph 443(1) of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), regulation 5(1) and Part 1 of the Schedule to S.I. 2022/500and regulation 2(1) and Part 1 of the Schedule to S.I. 2023/149.

[^f00006]: Section 43 was amended by article 6 (2) of S.I. 2018/526, paragraph 217(2) and (3) of Schedule 19 to the Data Protection Act 2018, article 6 (2) of S.I. 2020/940 and section 92 (9) (a) of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

[^f00007]: Section 44 was amended by article 6(2) and (3) of S.I. 2018/526, article 6(3) of S.I. 2020/940 and article 9(2) of S.I. 2025/557.

[^f00008]: Section 45 was amended by article 6 (4) of S.I. 2018/526 and article 6 (4) of S.I. 2020/940.

[^f00009]: Section 48 was amended by paragraph 18(3) of the Schedule to S.I. 2023/424 and article 9(3) of S.I. 2025/557.

[^f00010]: Section 49 was amended by paragraph 218(2) and (3) of Schedule 19 to the Data Protection Act 2018.

[^f00011]: Section 50 was amended by paragraph 443(1) of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act 2020, regulation 5(1) and Part 1 of the Schedule to S.I. 2022/500 and regulation 2(1) and Part 1 of the Schedule to S.I. 2023/149.

[^f00012]: Section 52 was amended by paragraph 219(2) and (3) of Schedule 19 to the Data Protection Act 2018 and section 92 (9) (b) of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

[^f00013]: Section 56 was amended by paragraph 18(4) of the Schedule to S.I. 2023/424 and article 9(4) of S.I. 2025/557.

[^f00014]: Section 57 was amended by paragraph 220(2) and (3) of Schedule 19 to the Data Protection Act 2018.

[^f00015]: Section 58 was amended by paragraph 443(1) of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act 2020, regulation 5(1) and Part 1 of the Schedule to S.I. 2022/500 and regulation 2(1) and Part 1 of the Schedule to S.I. 2023/149.

[^f00016]: Section 60 was amended by paragraph 221(2) and (3) of Schedule 19 to the Data Protection Act 2018 and section 92(9)(c) of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

[^f00017]: Schedule 4 was amended by paragraph 6(a) of the Schedule to S.I. 2017/979, paragraph 19(a) of the Schedule to S.I. 2018/378, paragraph 1 of the Schedule to S.I. 2018/551 (W. 93), regulation 2 of S.S.I. 2018/243, paragraph 15 of Schedule 3 to the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020 (asc 1), paragraph 26(a) of Schedule 2 to S.I. 2021/1265, paragraph 18(5) of the Schedule to S.I. 2023/424, paragraph 214 of Schedule 4 to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (c. 55), regulation 2 of S.I. 2024/64 and paragraph 13(a) of the Schedule to S.I. 2024/991.

[^f00018]: Schedule 7 was amended by paragraph 4 of the Schedule to S.I. 2018/551 (W. 93), regulation 2 of S.S.I. 2022/91 and paragraph 28(7) of the Schedule to S.I. 2023/424.

[^f00019]: Schedule 8 was amended by paragraph 6(b) of the Schedule to S.I. 2017/979, paragraph 19(d) of the Schedule to S.I. 2018/378, paragraph 5 of the Schedule to S.I. 2018/551 (W. 93), regulation 14 of S.I. 2019/1027, paragraph 26(d) of Schedule 2 to S.I. 2021/1265, regulation 3 of S.S.I. 2022/91, paragraph 18(8) of the Schedule to S.I. 2023/424, regulation 2 of S.I. 2024/805 (W. 129) and paragraph 13(d) of the Schedule to S.I. 2024/991.

[^f00020]: Section 123 came into force on the day on which the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 received Royal Assent so far as it confers power to make regulations or is otherwise necessary for enabling the exercise of such a power (see section 142(2)(h) of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025).