The introduction of the proposed U.K. Data Protection and Digital Information Bill served as the perfect talking point to kick off the IAPP Data Protection Intensive: U.K. 2023 in London. Keynote remarks from U.K. Information Commissioner John Edwards and Liberal Democrat House of Lords spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology Tim Clement-Jones covered first impressions of the new bill and the changes it may bring.
The state of international data transfers remains fluid, meaning organizational approaches to transfers require continuous examination and consideration. That is especially the case for European businesses conducting transfers out of the European Economic Area. While EU standard contractual clauses are the go-to transfer mechanism after updates in recent years, Hunton Andrews Kurth Centre for Information Policy Leadership President Bojana Bellamy, CIPP/E, considers binding corporate rules an overlooked alternative.
Politico reports new details and insights related to the potential halt on Meta's EU operations with a pending data transfer decision from Ireland's Data Protection Commission. The European Data Protection Board's opinion on the DPC's draft decision to nullify Meta's use of standard contractual clauses for EU-U.S. data transfers is expected April 14 and a final decision will follow in May.
India's government plans to amend draft provisions on data transfers in the proposed Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, The Indian Express reports. The data transfer language under Clause 17 of the bill will reportedly be reworked to allow for data to flow freely across borders.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission wants an interview with Twitter CEO Elon Musk in its investigation into privacy and data security allegations against the platform, The New York Times reports. The agency requested dialogue with Musk and former Twitter privacy and security personnel to understand whether the platform has sufficient data protection resources to remain in line with a 2011 consent decree.
U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board member Travis LeBlanc said Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, allowing U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct warrantless surveillance of foreign citizens, should not be given a “clean reauthorization” without “common-sense reforms to safeguard privacy and civil liberties,” Axios reports.
U.S. Federal Communications Commission nominee Gigi Sohn withdrew her nomination following a 16-month lobbying "battle" opposing her appointment, The Washington Post reports. Sohn’s nomination was all but ended after U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced he would vote against her. With a 50-50 split between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, Manchin’s defection was too much for Sohn to overcome.
Draft legislative reforms to the U.K. General Data Protection Regulation are expected this week. After last year's reform package was paused last fall, the newly minted Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, led by U.K. Secretary of State Michelle Donelan, could introduce the reforms to Parliament potentially as early as Wednesday. Donelan, who will give a keynote address at the IAPP Data Protection Intensive: UK this Thursday, recently rebuffed a report saying the reform package was on hold.
The European Commission announced Meta's WhatsApp agreed to improve user transparency for its EU terms of service and privacy notice. The commitments are in response to two requests in 2022 from the Commission's Consumer Protection Cooperation Network for the messaging app to clearly outline its personal data practices in disclosures to users.