WASHINGTON – May 6, 2020 – The Global Data Alliance welcomes the joint announcement by the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States to commence negotiations towards a UK-US Free Trade Agreement. The Global Data Alliance urges both countries to negotiate cross-border data disciplines that can build trust in the digital economy while safeguarding the ability to transfer data across borders.

The United Kingdom and the United States are two of the world's most connected economies – with advanced manufacturing and service industries that create jobs and value through data-driven innovation and trade. Through these negotiations, both countries can establish model provisions that fully respect existing US and UK legal frameworks and that continue to facilitate the trusted and seamless movement of data within the trans-Atlantic trade and innovation ecosystem. Such provisions will foster:

• Both countries’ global connectivity and access to the international marketplace and supply chains;
• The capacity of companies of all sizes to use software-enabled technologies, including cloud computing, data analytics, and digitally connected industrial processes, to create jobs, boost productivity, and reach new markets;
• The ability of firms to comply with regulatory requirements in sectors ranging from transportation and logistics to manufacturing and financial services; and
• The ability of the workforce in both countries to remain productive through teleworking, virtual collaboration, and online training, as well as through access to remotely delivered health and other services.

Global Data Alliance member companies are committed to high standards of data responsibility and rely on the ability to transfer data around the world to innovate and create jobs in the advanced manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, electronics, energy, financial services, health, supply chain, and telecommunications sectors, among others. Alliance members support the United Kingdom’s negotiating objectives of “includ[ing] … provisions that facilitate the free flow of data, whilst ensuring that the UK’s high standards of personal data protection are maintained” and “includ[ing]… provisions to prevent unjustified data localisation requirements.” Likewise, Alliance members support the United States’ negotiating objectives of “establish[ing] state-of-the-art rules to … [prohibit] measures that restrict cross-border data flows [or that] require the use or installation of local computing facilities.”

About the Global Data Alliance

The Global Data Alliance (globaldataalliance.org) is a cross-industry coalition of companies that are committed to high standards of data responsibility and that rely on the ability to transfer data around the world to innovate and create jobs. The Alliance supports policies that help instill trust in the digital economy while safeguarding the ability to transfer data across borders and refraining from imposing data localization requirements that restrict trade.

Alliance members include BSA members and American Express, Amgen, AT&T, ITB360, Mastercard, Panasonic, United Airlines, Verizon, Visa, and WD-40 Company. These companies are headquartered across the globe and are active in the advanced manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, electronics, energy, financial services, health, supply chain, and telecommunications sectors, among others. BSA | The Software Alliance administers the Global Data Alliance.