Section 135 Manifestly unfounded or excessive requests by data subjects etcI1

F1(A1)

This section makes provision about cases in which a request made to the F2Commission, to which the Commission is required or authorised to respond under the data protection legislation, is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

(1)

F3... The F4Commission may—

(a)

charge a reasonable fee for dealing with the request, or

(b)

refuse to act on the request.

F5(1A)

In subsection (1)—

(a)

the reference in paragraph (a) to charging a reasonable fee is, in a case in which section 134 is relevant, a reference to doing so under that section, and

(b)

paragraph (b) is not to be read as implying anything about whether the F6Commission may refuse to act on requests that are neither manifestly unfounded nor excessive.

(2)

An example of a request that may be excessive is one that merely repeats the substance of previous requests.

(3)

In any proceedings where there is an issue as to whether a request described in subsection F7A1 is manifestly unfounded or excessive, it is for the F8Commission to show that it is.

F9(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F10(5)

Article 57(3) of the UK GDPR (performance of F11Commission's tasks generally to be free of charge for data subject) has effect subject to this section.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: S. 135(A1) inserted (5.2.2026) by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 94(2)(a), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(p)
F2: Word in s. 135(A1) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 23(2)(3); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
F3: Words in s. 135(1) omitted (5.2.2026) by virtue of Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 94(2)(b), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(p)
F4: Word in s. 135(1) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 23(2)(3); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
F5: S. 135(1A) inserted (5.2.2026) by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 94(2)(c), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(p)
F6: Word in s. 135(1A)(b) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 23(2)(3); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
F7: Word in s. 135(3) substituted (5.2.2026) by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 94(2)(d), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(p)
F8: Word in s. 135(3) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 23(2)(3); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
F9: S. 135(4) omitted (5.2.2026) by virtue of Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 94(2)(e), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(p)
F10: S. 135(5) inserted (5.2.2026) by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 94(2)(f), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(p)
F11: Word in s. 135(5) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 23(2)(3); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)

Commencement

I1: S. 135 in force at 25.5.2018 by S.I. 2018/625, reg. 2(1)(e)

Notes on Part 5

Textual amendments

F1: Word in Pt. 5 heading substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 23(2)(3); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)

Modifications

C1: Pts. 5-7 applied in part (with modifications) (5.2.2026) by S.I. 2003/2426, reg. 31, Sch. 1 (as substituted by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 115(5)(8), 142(1), Sch. 13; S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(y)(z14) (with regs. 8-11) and as amended (30.9.2026) by S.I. 2026/386, reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 6(3), (4)(j); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c))
C2: Pt. 5 applied in part (with modifications) by S.I. 2016/696, Sch. 2 (as substituted (25.5.2018) by Data Protection Act 2018 (c. 12), s. 212(1), Sch. 19 para. 406 (with ss. 117, 209, 210); S.I. 2018/625, reg. 2(1)(g) (with reg. 4))