For many individuals, holding board level positions in UK entities comes with the fear of their names, dates of birth and residential addresses being published by Companies House. This has led to instances of identity theft, doxing and other harassment or nuisance.
Thankfully this is changing and individuals may now apply to protect this information from publication.
The Protection and Disclosure of Personal Information (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/874) came into force on 21 July 2025 and expand the circumstances in which individuals can apply to Companies House to protect their personal information on the public registers of limited companies, liability partnerships and unregistered companies. The protection will cover residential address, signature, business occupation, and day of date of birth so – once protection is applied for – this information will no longer be shared publicly.
The reforms are part of broader changes under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, aimed at enhancing privacy and preventing misuse of personal data on the companies register. Protection of this information is now an absolute right; individuals do not need to justify their request or meet additional conditions. Companies House will continue to hold protected information for sharing with law enforcement and public authorities as required, but will not publish in online or other registers.
There are some exceptions as to what can be protected, and addresses required as a company’s registered office or for certain filings cannot be protected unless also used as a service address, in which case a replacement must be provided.
No immediate action is required unless an individual wishes to apply for protection of their information. As yet, there has been no guidance published on the process for application, but Companies House guidance will be updated to address this.
