The United Kingdom is looking to revamp its privacy policy in the wake of Brexit, making a break from the EU’s GDPR.
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is one of the most comprehensive privacy legislation to ever be passed into law. As long as the UK was part of the EU, it was subject to the GDPR, the same as any other European country. With Brexit, however, UK regulators are looking to chart their own path.
Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, spoke of the work John Edwards, New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner and the likely next Information Commissioner, would undertake.
“Now that we have left the EU I’m determined to seize the opportunity by developing a world-leading data policy that will deliver a Brexit dividend for individuals and businesses across the UK,” said Dowden, according to The Guardian.
“It means reforming our own data laws so that they’re based on common sense, not box-ticking. And it means having the leadership in place at the Information Commissioner’s Office to pursue a new era of data-driven growth and innovation. John Edwards’ vast experience makes him the ideal candidate to ensure data is used responsibly to achieve those goals.”
Edwards will have his work cut out for him, as any legislation will need to maintain the same level of protection as the GDPR. If it doesn’t, the EU would e forced to stop data-sharing with the UK, a move that would impact companies on both sides of the Channel.