In tomorrow’s world, how we organize and manage the data that we produce, receive and maintain will be critical to our organisation’s sustainability and the management of risks. Regulatory requirements abound with which we must comply and no longer can one store or hoard information in an ad hoc manner. No longer can records managers afford to keep data in particular, personal information for use other than that for which it was obtained. This will impact on the residual information that will accrue to archives and adds a new meaning to the principle of impartiality within the fonds. In addition, archivists and records managers have to follow ‘new rules’ most of which are changing frequently and which may differ according to geographic boundaries or locations. Generally, data protection legislation is based on human rights and seeks to ensure the individual right of privacy on personal information. It focuses on structured manual files and electronic processing of such data. To fulfill the requirements and principles embodied in such legislation, archivists and records managers will have to amend their procedures and processes to ensure that any personal information on the body politic is obtained and processed fairly, that this information is kept only for the original purposes stated, that it is kept safe, secure, accurate and up-to-date, not retained longer than necessary regarding the initial purpose of collection, and rights of access to personal data applied. Failure to carry out any of the above mentioned measures will result in sanctions inclusive of monetary fines and imprisonment. The authors will examine the principles embodied in these requirements and put forward recommendations and possible strategies for compliance which can assist archivists and records managers in carrying out their functions.