{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/data-protection-act-2018/section-148",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/data-protection-act-2018/section-148.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2018/12",
  "legislation_title": "Data Protection Act 2018",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/data-protection-act-2018",
  "path": "section/148",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "148",
  "heading": "Destroying or falsifying information and documents etc",
  "text": "(1) This section applies where a person—\n(a) has been given an information notice requiring the person to provide the Commission with information or a document, or\n(b) has been given an assessment notice requiring the person to direct a member of the Commission or a member of its staff to a document, equipment or other material or to assist such a person to view information.\n(2) It is an offence for the person—\n(a) to destroy or otherwise dispose of, conceal, block or (where relevant) falsify all or part of the information, document, equipment or material, or\n(b) to cause or permit the destruction, disposal, concealment, blocking or (where relevant) falsification of all or part of the information, document, equipment or material,\nwith the intention of preventing a member of the Commission or a member of its staff from viewing, or being provided with or directed to, all or part of the information, document, equipment or material.\n(3) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (2) to prove that the destruction, disposal, concealment, blocking or falsification would have occurred in the absence of the person being given the notice.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Word in s. 148(1)(a) 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)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 148(1)(a) inserted (19.8.2025) by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 97(5), 142(3)(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 148(1)(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(9)(a)(i); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 148(1)(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(9)(a)(ii); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 148(2) 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(9)(b); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 148 in force at 25.5.2018 by S.I. 2018/625, reg. 2(1)(f)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/12/section/148",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T17:00:05.588950+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}