July 11, 2017

The ICO has published its first International Strategy to help it meet overseas data protection challenges, including increased globalism, changing technology, GDPR and Brexit.

The ICO says that the Strategy aims to “enhance privacy protection for the UK public, no matter where in the world potential threats and risks emanate from.” It also commits the ICO to learning about new ideas and developments emerging from other countries.

The Strategy sets out what the ICO sees as its main international concerns over the next four years:

• to operate as an effective and influential data protection authority at European level while the UK remains a member of the EU and when the UK has left the EU, or during any transitional period;
• to maximise the ICO’s relevance and delivery against its objectives in an increasingly globalised world with rapid growth of online technologies;
• to ensure that UK data protection law and practice is a benchmark for high global standards; and
• to address the uncertainty of the legal protections for international data flows to and from the EU, and beyond, including adequacy.

The document also states how the ICO’s internal structure and resourcing will reflect an enhanced global dimension.

The Strategy complements the key goals of the ICO’s new Information Rights Strategic Plan, which include:

• increasing the public’s trust and confidence in how data is used and shared;
• remaining relevant by keeping abreast of evolving technology; and
• improving standards through clear and targeted engagement and influence, both at home and abroad.

The Strategy will run until 2021. However, the ICO says that it will be regularly reviewed and updated in response to new challenges and opportunities. To read the ICO’s news release in full and to access the Strategy, click here.