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UK GDPR is the data protection law that applies in the United Kingdom following Brexit. It is based on the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation but adapted for UK law. For fleet operators, it applies the moment a camera records a driver or a member of the public – because video footage of an identifiable person is personal data.
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 – which took effect in February 2026 – made significant changes to the UK’s data protection framework. Fleet operators who set up their camera policies under pre-2025 rules should review them. Key UK GDPR principles for fleet camera deployments:
- Lawful basis – must document the legal ground for processing (usually legitimate interests for fleet safety)
- Purpose limitation – footage must only be used for the specific purpose stated when collected
- Data minimisation – only record what is necessary; if a forward camera is sufficient, an interior camera may not be justifiable
- Retention – set and enforce automatic deletion periods; keeping footage indefinitely is a breach
- Transparency – drivers must be notified in writing and by in-vehicle signage