Journalism, academic research and long term archiving all depend on being able to hold personal data without a subject access request disrupting the work before it is finished. Three exemptions in Schedule 2 protect these purposes, but the bar for using them is higher than most people assume.

This guide covers the special purposes exemption for journalism and creative work, research and statistics with its section 19 safeguards, and public interest archiving. Each one is an impairment test, not a convenience test, so download the guide to see exactly what has to be shown before disclosure can be restricted.