The number of Subject Access Requests (SARs) being received by our clients is growing on an unprecedented scale.

Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA) is a significant new piece of UK legislation that was implemented in June 2025 updated the UKs data protection framework.

The volume of Subject Access Requests (SARs) in the UK is increasing due to a combination of:

  • Heightened awareness of data rights

  • Their strategic use during disputes

  • Abolishment of fees lowers barrier for individuals to make requests

  • Ability to use Artificial Intelligence services to generate the request

  • Ability to use SAR as a formal process to obtain info from organisations

One of the most significant drivers of the increase in SARs is their strategic use in the context of disputes. A SAR is a fundamental right, but it is increasingly being used as a tactical tool, particularly in the employment sphere.

  • A Pre-Litigation Tool

    Data protection experts have observed that a large percentage of SARs are now tied to parallel claims. For instance, around 80% of the SARs handled by one specialist firm were linked to grievances, employment tribunals, or settlement negotiations.l

  • High Risk for Employers

    This trend is a major concern for organisations. Polling data from legal professionals indicates that over 80% of employee SARs are considered “high risk” because they are often connected to employment litigation.

    Employees may use a SAR as a form of “fishing expedition” to gather evidence before or during a formal dispute, hoping to obtain emails, messages, and other documents that might support their case.

  • Beyond Employment

    This tactical use isn’t limited to the workplace. Public sector bodies have also noted a growing trend of individuals using SARs as an alternative way to get information during formal complaints procedures.

The Complexity of Modern Data

The challenge of SARs is not just about the number of requests, but also their complexity.
Modern workplaces use a vast array of communication and data storage tools, which has a direct impact on SARs.

Proliferation of Data Sources:

Personal data is no longer just in formal personnel files and emails.

It is now scattered across instant messaging platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack, cloud storage services, and various other databases. An individual’s data is often an intricate web of information spread across many different systems.

The Perfect Storm:

This data complexity combines with rising volumes and often stretched resources within organisations to create what has been described as a “perfect storm of challenges”

Responding to a single request can now require a time-consuming and manual search across multiple departments and systems to locate, review, and appropriately redact information.

How we can help

We have spent the past two decades helping some of the Uks highest profile data regulation companies make sense of the need to provide access to information to the public.

We have a series of solutions that will help our clients:

  • Locate relevant information for inclusion in the scope of the information response

  • Filter and de-duplicate source information

  • Ensure that information is relevant

  • Generate portable data files (PDFs) that will speed up response preparation times

  • Automate redaction of files to ensure sensitive information is not accidentally released

  • Publish the final output

Typical Service Improvements

Our clients regularly report 80% plus improvements in the efficiency of collating, redacting and publishing Subject Access Requests.
When your inbound SAR volumes are increasing, can you afford to continue to work with inefficient and dated processes to respond?

Contact us today for a demo of our solutions including:

  • PST 2 PDF Converter (Mail box conversion tool)

  • e-Redact (Automated redaction tool)

  • PDF pre-processing (Optimise file sizes, re-order & de-duplicate pages and more)