WASHINGTON – June 14, 2021 – The Global Data Alliance welcomes the G7 Leaders’ commitment to champion data free flow with trust in their 2021 Summit Communiqué. There is increasing urgency for like-minded economies with a shared respect for transparent and accountable governance to find common ground on cross-border data transfers.

“The ability to transfer data securely across international digital networks is central to improving governmental transparency, scientific collaboration, and economic opportunity for the benefit of people across the world,” said Joseph Whitlock, Director, Policy at BSA | The Software Alliance. “The G7’s forward-leaning work on cross-border data transfers can help build momentum towards ambitious data transfer commitments in the ongoing WTO Joint Statement Initiative negotiations on electronic commerce.”

The Global Data Alliance also supports the G7 2021 Communiqué endorsement of the G7 Digital Ministers’ Roadmap for Cooperation on Data Free Flow with Trust, which recognizes that:

1. The “ability to move and protect data across borders is essential for economic growth and innovation”;
2. Countries should “enhance cooperation on data governance and data protection, identify opportunities to overcome differences, explore commonalities in regulatory approaches, and promote interoperability”;
3. The OECD’s work on trusted government access to personal data held by the private sector can help clarify the relationship between data protection, privacy, and lawful access regimes, and the valid need for governments to access personal data in the private sector; and
4. There is an interest in greater cross-border sharing of data among governments in priority sectors.

Cross-border data transfers support many economic priorities – from enabling remote learning and work, to accessing knowledge across borders, to helping small and medium-sized enterprises find new market opportunities abroad. Data transfers are also important to advancing policies relating to cybersecurity, fraud monitoring and prevention, anti-money laundering, anti-corruption, and a broad range of other policy objectives, including the protection of health, privacy, security, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance.