UK Data Removal Guide (2026)
UK residents have strong deletion and objection rights under the UK GDPR. Two practical starting points are opting out of the Open Electoral Register and reviewing any 192.com listing, but neither action reaches every broker, public record, or search result.
Research status: sources last checked 2026-09-07.
This page is educational orientation, not legal advice. The legal fields below are a research snapshot; eligibility, exemptions, deadlines, penalty rules and broker routes can change. Verify the current statute and regulator guidance before relying on a right or filing a complaint.
At a glance
- Governing law
- UK GDPR
- Response deadline
- 1 month (extendable by 2 months for complex requests)
- Regulator
- Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
- Private right of action
- Yes: compensation under Article 82 UK GDPR
UK GDPR + Data Protection Act 2018 (as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025)
The UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 give you the rights to access, erase, rectify, restrict, port, and object to processing of your personal data, including an absolute right to object to direct marketing. Controllers must respond within one month. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 kept this structure intact; its core amendments took effect 5 February 2026, and from 19 June 2026 organisations must run an internal complaints procedure before you escalate to the ICO.
Read the full UK GDPRexplainer โScope, penalties, private right of action, enforcement history.
What rights do United Kingdom residents have?
- โRight of access (Subject Access Request, Article 15)
- โRight to erasure / right to be forgotten (Article 17)
- โRight to object: absolute for direct marketing (Article 21)
- โRight to rectification and restriction (Articles 16, 18)
- โRight to compensation for damage (Article 82)
- โRight to opt out of the Open (edited) Electoral Register
Who holds your data in United Kingdom?
192.com is a prominent UK people-search and business-directory source. Its public help materials describe records from sources such as the open electoral register, Companies House, and telephone-directory data. Other resellers and international brokers may hold separate copies, so one provider request is not a universal UK removal.
Public-record sources brokers scrape
- Electoral register: the Open (edited) version is sold to anyone, incl. marketers and 192.com (you can opt out)
- Companies House: directors, officers, persons of significant control
- HM Land Registry: property ownership (title register, for a fee)
- The Gazette: insolvency and official notices
Related guide: How to Remove Yourself from 192.com
How to remove your data in United Kingdom
- 1Opt out of the Open Electoral Register via your local council Electoral Registration Office. GOV.UK says this does not affect your right to vote; it reduces one public source but does not erase other records.
- 2Submit a 192.com removal request for the specific listing. 192.com currently describes an online target of about 48 hours and a postal target of up to 28 days; treat those as provider-stated processing estimates, not a guarantee for every record or search result.
- 3If you are a director, LLP member, or PSC facing a serious risk of violence or intimidation because of the company or LLP's activities, apply to protect your residential address on Companies House; use a service address for the public register.
- 4Send UK GDPR erasure (Art. 17) + objection (Art. 21) requests to brokers; they have one month to respond.
- 5Escalate unresolved cases to the ICO and claim compensation under Art. 82 if you suffered damage.
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What if a company ignores your request?
Consider the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) information or complaint route above if the controller does not respond or the response is unsatisfactory. This guide records the following penalty orientation: ยฃ17.5M or 4% of global annual turnover. The private-action note is: Yes: compensation under Article 82 UK GDPR. Neither field is an individual award or a promise of enforcement.
Open the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) information or complaint route โFAQ: United Kingdom data removal
What's the difference between the full and open electoral register?+
The full register is restricted to elections, credit checks, and law enforcement. The open (edited) register can be bought by anyone, including marketers and people-search sites like 192.com. You can opt out of the open register at any time via your local council.
How do I remove myself from 192.com?+
Use 192.com's current removal route for the specific listing and save the confirmation. Its help page gives provider-stated online and postal processing estimates, but a source-page change, search-engine refresh, or later reappearance is a separate event. Also review the Open Register route through your local council.
Can I hide my home address on Companies House?+
Directors can apply to protect their residential address when they or someone living with them faces a serious risk of violence or intimidation because of the company's work. A service address is used for public-register correspondence; some other personal details are restricted by default.
How long does a UK company have to answer my data request?+
One calendar month from receipt, extendable to three months for complex requests. If ignored, you can complain to the ICO.