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
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.

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More from @markscott82

26 Aug
Current scenes in Brussels after London announces it wants to reach a international data deal w/ the US (and Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, South Korea, India & Singapore)
Fun fact: while the UK is pursuing these post-Brexit deals (as is its right), if such agreements leads to EU data being transferred to third-party countries that don't have adequacy deals w/ EU, then the UK's own deal w/ the EU could be in jeopardy
Worth remembering that the EU has tried to get a data deal done w/ Australia for years, but Canberra has been unwilling to meet Brussels' demands (as is its right). Also: EU's future data deal w/ US still very much up in the air.
Read 9 tweets
19 Aug
Two things are pretty clear. 1) Taliban continue is all over social media. 2) Western far-right groups have embraced the militants' message as their own.

Read all about how that's shaking out in this week's Digital Bridge newsletter 👉 politico.eu/newsletter/dig…
.@Facebook's publication of a new (US-focused) transparency report has again got people talking about how to hold these companies to account.

FWIW, both EU & US officials are (finally) putting pen to paper 👇
.@Apple really screwed the pooch on announcing plans to scan ppl's images for sexually explicit material. But as US & EU officials gather in Washington next week to discuss encryption, the iPhone maker's attempts at finding a middle group btwn privacy & security are worth a look
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16 Jul
Happy Schrems-iversary! It’s been a year since Europe’s highest court stuck down EU-US data transfers.

Where are we on getting a deal done? Not close at all. Here’s why politi.co/3idBCt2 w/ @vmanancourt
@vmanancourt Reminder: the underlying issues haven’t really changed since 2015 — when the previous “Safe Harbor” agreement was similarly struck down nyti.ms/3eoZx7G Image
@vmanancourt And even from the beginning, the so-called “Privacy Shield” agreement was on shaky ground — despite what US officials said (this is @PennyPritzker in 2016) nyti.ms/3kr1Yua nyti.ms/2Ui74Oz Image
Read 7 tweets
14 Jul
There's a growing drumbeat (in Washington) that China's new #privacy laws give Chinese citizens' greater protections than in the US -- and that's good enough reason for DC to pursue federal #dataprotection laws.

Let's unpack why that argument doesn't make sense.

<<cue thread>>
So it's true that Beijing is rolling out a comprehensive national #privacy standard that, in its very basic levels, is based on Europe's General Data Protection Regulation. You can read a translation here newamerica.org/cybersecurity-…
It hits all the needs-to-have: greater consent for how data is used, checked. data breach notification requirements, check. potential hefty fines for wrongdoing, check.

Again, at a basic level, it does look like the GDPR.

But....
Read 19 tweets
4 Jun
@Facebook @EU_Commission @CMAgovUK Focus is on social networking giant’s collection & use of data and if that gave it an unfair advantage.

This is just the start of the investigations, and we’re still months, if not more than a year, away from any specific charges
Want more on how #antitrust regulators are pushing into #privacy world? I got you covered politi.co/3uQjaea
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4 Jun
For everyone wading into the global tax overhaul as G7 ministers meet today — hi, welcome, glad you could make it.

Let’s break down where we are, what are the sticking points, and what may — and may not — be accounced in coming days.

<cue thread>>
OK, first things, first. This is not about tax. At its core are unanswered questions over which govts have the right to tell large (digital) companies what they can and can not do within their jurisdictions.

In short, it's a power play (but I would say that, as a POLITICO hack)
Countries like France & Italy see the likes of @Facebook & @Google making lots of ad revenue within their countries and legitimately question: why is that cash going to Ireland/US and not staying with us? How's that fair?
Read 30 tweets

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