Thread by @markscott82

After talking to folk today, two things have become very clear: UK govt is willing to walk away from its adequacy deal w/ EU; almost no one with power in London understands how privacy regulations work

https://twitter.com/markscott82/status/1430798501194182660

There is a feeling within part of UK govt that GDPR has been a hindrance to growth (it has not); and that business wants more freedom to “innovate” (most do, but not at expense of privacy rights)

But what is missing is context. The UK’s data protection regimes is decades old, is based on existing (EU-based) global norms and, for the most part, has worked.

Here’s a stat; London, since 2015, has raised €58.2bn in venture capital funding, mostly for tech startups. Berlin comes second, w/ €17bn, Paris third w/ €16.4bn (HT: @dealroomco). It’s not like the UK is losing the race for innovation, amirite?

Also, what London is forgetting that it’s companies will still comply with GDPR, even if UK goes its own way. Why? Because by meeting EU standards, bizs meet almost all other standards, globally. Just go ask US companies. There’s no leverage here for UK

Third: 3/4 of UK international data flows to EU. Sure, the US is important, as are places like Dubai and India. But Brits are really weeklong to put all that EU trade at risk, just to set their own path? I mean, it’s a Brexit metaphor waiting to be used

It is true that GDPR hasn’t really worked (see this politico.eu/article/europe…). And it is true that Brexit does provide Brits w/ opportunity to try things quicker than the EU, just see what @CMAgovUK is up to in the antitrust space

But when I hear that losing adequacy with EU on data is an acceptable loss, and that UK is putting innovation before “box-ticking” regulation, I can’t help but bash my head against a table

There a good cases to be made why a more innovation data protection regime could be good for UK and elsewhere (see @oecd’s work on this stuff). And heaven knows Washington would love a legit counterweight to Brussels on this (no, China’s new privacy regime doesn’t count)

But the naivety of London on this issue is breathtaking. I know the folk at @DCMS get it, so I then have to think this is less about legit regulation/policymaking and more about political point scoring. That’s exactly what’s going to create a coherent post-Brexit privacy regime

Rant over. Thoughts appreciated.