Tech Sector Compliance Overview
Comprehensive guide to regulatory compliance for technology businesses - UK GDPR, data protection, online safety, cybersecurity, and sector-specific …
Technology & Digital
Print and periodical publishing rules
If you publish books, newspapers, journals or directories — in print or online — three duties apply on top of the rules every publisher shares: you must deposit copies of what you publish with the legal deposit libraries, meet consumer subscription and cancellation rules, and (for directories and mailing lists) handle personal data lawfully.
UK-wide
On this page
UK-wide
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Book, newspaper, journal and directory publishers share three duties beyond the cross-cutting rules in run a compliant publishing business. (These apply to print and online publishing; they do not apply to software publishing.)
Deposit copies with the legal deposit libraries
Under the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 you must deposit one copy of every printed publication with the British Library within one month of publication, and — on request — with the five other legal deposit libraries. Electronic and online publications are covered by the Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations 2013. This applies UK-wide.
Meet consumer subscription rules
Periodical and digital subscriptions sold to consumers must meet pre-contract information, fairness and cancellation rules. Auto-renewal and pricing transparency are enforced by Trading Standards, and the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 — enforced by the Competition and Markets Authority — tightens subscription-contract duties (clear pre-contract information, reminder notices and easy exit) as its provisions are commenced.
Handle directory and mailing-list data lawfully
Compiling, selling or renting directories and marketing lists is core personal-data processing. You need a lawful basis, data subjects have rights (including the right to object to direct marketing and, under PECR regulation 18, to be left out of subscriber directories), and any onward sale of a list must satisfy UK GDPR transparency and consent rules.
Next steps
Make sure the cross-cutting duties for your business are in place — see run a compliant publishing business — then confirm everything with the publishing compliance checklist.