UK – US joint statement on deepening the data partnership

Today, the U.K. Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Nadine Dorries and the United States Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo issued the following statement on their governments’ shared commitment to deepening the UK-US data partnership to realise a more peaceful and prosperous future by promoting the trustworthy use and exchange of data across borders:

The UK and the US can play a key role in shaping a global data ecosystem capable of addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow by designing and delivering tools for the 21st century.

We welcome significant progress made by our respective teams to support, stabilise and realise the benefits of bilateral data flows, and we are committed to achieving a successful and enduring partnership, including on adequacy. We also look forward to working together on the global challenges and opportunities, including with like-minded partners to build trust in the important ways our Governments access information for the purposes of public safety, national security, and law enforcement investigations.

The challenges facing cross-border data flows are increasingly global and require solutions that work across multiple jurisdictions. We recognise the negative trends that risk closing off international data flows. In response, we seek to shape a global data ecosystem in a manner that promotes and advances interoperability between different data protection frameworks, facilitating cross-border data flows while maintaining high standards of data protection and trust. We are committed to open and inclusive engagement with international partners, industry, civil society, and consumer and privacy rights groups.

Our rich and shared histories, traditions, and commitment to high privacy standards pre-dates the advent of digital technologies, continues today, and will continue and evolve through future technological innovation. We look forward to continuing to build on our partnership in early 2022.