Privacy & Information Security Law Blog

On June 8, 2023, the United Kingdom and the United States announced they reached a commitment in principle to establish the UK Extension to the Data Privacy Framework, which will create a “data bridge” between the two countries. U.S. companies approved to join the framework would be able to receive UK personal data under the new data bridge.

According to the UK government, the data bridge would remove the “burden” of putting in place “costly contract clauses . . . to ensure protection and privacy standards are maintained.” The announcement states that the key pillars underpinning the commitment are “strengthening the rights and safeguards of UK individuals, ensuring robust and reliable data flows, and reducing burdens on business.” It also provides that further “technical work” will be required in the coming months before determining whether the data bridge will be established.