In a new article for Chatham House’s Journal of Cyber Policy, CBDF European Research Director Théodore Christakis discusses efforts to achieve “data free flow with trust” when examining government access to data held by private firms and the concurrent challenges for cross-border data flows. As part of Chatham House’s special issue on Cross-Border Data Sharing, the article provides a comprehensive overview of the following areas:
- The rising complexity of foreign government data demands and the resulting trust deficit
- The EU adequacy model’s role in shaping global data protection and its limitations outside the EU
- Multilateral frameworks like the G7’s DFFT and the OECD’s Declaration, their importance and their limitations
- The pressing need for transparent, balanced, and cooperative approaches to secure, privacy-centric global data exchange
The three key legal initiatives examined are the EU adequacy model, multilateral initiatives and binding agreements such as the projected EU-U.S. e-Evidence/Cloud Act agreement. The article concludes that rebuilding trust among democracies is essential and calls for enhanced multilateral cooperation, transparency, bilateral agreements, and a balance between security and privacy to support global data flows vital to the digital economy.
To read the full article, click here.
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These statements are attributable only to the author, and their publication here does not necessarily reflect the view of the Cross-Border Data Forum or any participating individuals or organizations.
