techUK supports the G7 institutional arrangement for partnership on Data Free Flow with Trust
Published today, techUK co-signed a global industry statement in support of the G7 governments' recent announcement on promoting the vision of Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), alongside other industry bodies
The goal is to facilitate the transfer of data across transnational digital networks while enhancing digital trust. Access to and transmission of information across borders enables governments to achieve policy objectives such as digital transformation, cybersecurity, financial inclusion, health, privacy, and trade.
However, the OECD reports an 800% increase in policies that impede cross-border data transferability, with barriers to cross-border data transfers being the top restriction. The rise in cross-border data restrictiveness is incompatible with shared global goals, including addressing cybersecurity risks, climate change, and public health and safety.
The coalition urges G7 parties to adopt concrete strategies for advancing DFFT, such as aligning data transfer policies across economies, analysing the significance of data transfers in key sectors, and supporting the OECD Declaration on Government Access to Personal Data Held by Private Sector Entities.
Private entities can enhance digital trust by adopting high standards of digital responsibility and accountability principles to ensure data protection. Finally, governments should support digital trust by promoting stakeholder engagement, transparency, accountability, and regulatory consistency.
techUK, along with other industry bodies, supports the concept of an “Institutional Arrangement for Partnership” which will advance DFFT by supporting international and domestic rules that favour international flow of data, ensuring any domestic measures that impact international data flows are developed transparently and accountably, are non-discriminatory, consistent with international standards, interoperable with legal frameworks of other jurisdictions, and necessary to achieve a legitimate goal while avoiding specific tech mandates.
The industry statement can be found here. techUK will continue to monitor developments and members should reach out to [email protected] or [email protected] if they have any questions.
Sabina Ciofu
Sabina Ciofu
Sabina Ciofu is Associate Director – International, running the International Policy and Trade Programme at techUK.
Based in Brussels, she leads our EU policy and engagement. She is also our lead on international trade policy, with a focus on digital trade chapter in FTAs, regulatory cooperation as well as broader engagement with the G7, G20, WTO and OECD.
As a transatlanticist at heart, Sabina is a GMF Marshall Memorial fellow and issue-lead on the EU-US Trade and Technology Council, within DigitalEurope.
Previously, she worked as Policy Advisor to a Member of the European Parliament for almost a decade, where she specialised in tech regulation, international trade and EU-US relations.
Sabina loves building communities and bringing people together. She is the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club and co-organiser of the Young Professionals in Digital Policy. Previously, as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, she led several youth civic engagement and gender equality projects.
She sits on the Advisory Board of the University College London European Institute, Café Transatlantique, a network of women in transatlantic technology policy and The Nine, Brussels’ first members-only club designed for women.
Sabina holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- +32 473 323 280
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
Daniel Clarke
Daniel Clarke
Dan joined techUK as a Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade in March 2023.
Before techUK, Dan worked for data and consulting company GlobalData as an analyst of tech and geopolitics. He has also worked in public affairs, political polling, and has written freelance for the New Statesman and Investment Monitor.
Dan has a degree in MSc International Public Policy from University College London, and a BA Geography degree from the University of Sussex.
Outside of work, Dan is a big fan of football, cooking, going to see live music, and reading about international affairs.
- Email:
- [email protected]
