REUTERS | Andrew Winning

Data privacy and cybersecurity: Autumn agenda 2021

Following the European Commission’s adequacy findings for the UK back in June, to a collective sigh of relief, there has been continued focus on cross-border data exports over the summer. On 11 August, the ICO launched a public consultation on key aspects of the post-Brexit international transfer regime under the UK GDPR .

The consultation covers proposals for:

  • Updated ICO guidance on international transfers.
  • Transfer risk assessments (TRAs), including a new TRA tool.
  • A new international data transfer agreement (IDTA) to replace the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses.

The consultation remains open until 5:00pm on 7 October 2021. For a detailed discussion on the ICO’s proposals, see Article, ICO consultation on international data transfers: what to do now.

Meanwhile DCMS has launched a consultation on potentially far-reaching reforms to the UK’s data protection regime. Details of the reforms are set out in accompanying document Data: A new direction and include data adequacy partnerships, an International Data Transfers Export Council and an enhanced role for the Information Commissioner.

The reforms are part of the government’s National Data Strategy and aim to shape a new data protection regime that will maintain high standards of data protection and public trust, without unnecessary burdens for business or barriers to innovation and international data transfers.

The consultation will close at 11.45 pm on 19 November 2021. For more information, see Legal update, UK launches post-Brexit global data plans.

Looking back: Summer 2021

In addition to the ICO and DCMS consultations outlined above, there have been a number of other key developments over the summer.

Key dates: Autumn 2021

Key forthcoming dates include:

  • 1 October. Closing date for comments on the European Data Protection Board’s (EDPB) draft Guidelines 04/2021 on codes of conduct as tools for transfers. (See more.)
  • 7 October. Closing date for responses to ICO’s consultation on its updated guidance and draft international data transfer agreement for personal data transfers outside the UK. (See more.)
  • 21 October. Closing date for responses to ICO’s call for views on data protection and employment practices guidance. (See more.)
  • 19 November. Closing date for responses to DCMS consultation on government plans to reform the UK’s data protection laws. (See more.)
  • 28 November. Closing date for responses to ICO consultation on the first draft chapter of its draft guidance on anonymisation, pseudonymisation and privacy enhancing technologies. (See more.)

New Practical Law content

Over the course of the summer, Practical Law has published:

Featured Asks

Data subject access:

Miscellaneous:

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