The UK is a relatively privacy friendly travel option, with limited data collection for visa exempt countries. The United Kingdom typically only collects a facial photo when entering the country for short stay visits. Visa holders and PRs are typically required to provide biometrics. Data collected during the visa process (if required) will be used on your arrival to verify your identity (typically a fingerprint).
ETA's are a new requirement for most visa-free nationals to travel to the UK (excluding Northern Ireland). An ETA is requested via a mobile app and will require your passport and a selfie. This data will be retained for 5 years, for more details see the full ETA Privacy Policy.
Automated Border Control, as show above, are optional for all arrivals. Anyone arriving at the UK's border is entitled to use a staffed border inspection kiosk instead.
How long will my data be stored?
Depending on your status in the UK, your data will be retained for a different period of time.
If you are a short stay visitor with an ETA, your data will be retained for 5 years.
If you hold a visa or a PR, data retention guidelines vary and can be found in the Home Office's Biometric Data PDF.
The UK routinely shares information with other countries such as: US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, also known as the Five Eyes or Migration 5. The UK's GDPR and DPA protects your information and provides methods for requesting data deletion under specific circumstances (for example if immigration controls no longer apply to you because you gained British citizenship).
It is worth noting that in recent years the UK has been known to breach data privacy laws in cases relating to the United States investigations.
What information is required on exit?
On exit there is no data collection - the UK doesn't run outbound immigration checks.