"OECD Signs Landmark Privacy Agreement"

The OECD recently published a new transnational agreement that it claims will help to safeguard user privacy when data is accessed for national security and law enforcement purposes. The "OECD Declaration on Government Access to Personal Data Held by Private Sector Entities" clarifies how member countries' security and policing agencies can access this data under existing legal frameworks. It is designed to improve trust in cross-border data flows, which are key to driving global economic growth. OECD secretary-general Mathis Cormann stated that being able to transfer data across borders is fundamental in this digital era for everything from social media use to international trade and cooperation on global health issues. Yet, without common principles and safeguards, the sharing of personal data across jurisdictions raises privacy concerns, particularly in sensitive areas like national security. Cormann noted that the landmark agreement formally recognizes that OECD countries uphold common standards and safeguards. He stated that it will help to enable flows of data between rule-of-law democracies, with the safeguards needed for individuals' trust in the digital economy and mutual trust among governments regarding the personal data of their citizens. The agreement was signed by the 38 OECD countries, including the US and UK, as well as the EU, and is open to others to join. It is currently unclear whether it will help to smooth the increasingly fraught relationship between the EU and US over cross-border data transfers. European courts have thrown out previous agreements between the two on concerns that EU citizens' privacy can't be guaranteed given intrusive US state surveillance.

Infosecurity reports: "OECD Signs Landmark Privacy Agreement"