New trade deals threaten the UK’s internet
As the UK negotiates new trade deals, our government is under enormous pressure to water down privacy protections.
Open Rights Group (ORG) is pushing for more transparency and democratic engagement in negotiations to ensure our digital rights are not traded away.
We need democratic oversight now.
The UK government’s objectives for the free trade agreement (FTA) with the US include measures that could define British regulation of the internet and our online activities for years to come. Negotiations should be conducted with the highest levels of democratic participation, including a greater role for Parliament than currently afforded in the law.
Proposals presented by the US in their digital trade objectives will severely impact internet regulation by controlling the building blocks of digital technology: data flows, source code and algorithms.
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The Story So Far
Europe cannot rubber stamp the UK’s data laws
The United Kingdom is currently awaiting a decision from Europe on whether it provides adequate standards of data protection.Commons Committee spells out Japan deal digital risks
The Commons International Trade Select Committee today has politely and clearly signalled that the shift in data protection provisions put forward in the Japan-UK Trade Deal is meaningful.The democratic deficit weakening privacy in the UK-Japan deal
Trade agreements matter; and Parliament has been cut out of the substance.Parliament must act before it’s too late
Our blog on Monday made a simple point.Japan Trade Deal punches USA-sized hole in privacy
The UK has just signed its first new free trade agreement, independently from the EU, with Japan.How I learned to stop worrying and love the algorithm
United Kingdom, 2020 AD.CJEU invalidates Privacy Shield: what about the UK?
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) just delivered their Schrems II judgment, writing a new chapter of the never ending saga about the adequacy of US privacy standards.What will Brexit mean for our privacy?
The Brexit clock is ticking.UK publishes trade objectives for deal with the US: What you need to know
The UK government has set out its plans and priorities for the negotiations of a free trade agreement with the US.Data Protection and Brexit
At the moment, the General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR) is an important piece of legislation protecting personal data, but it is European, not UK law.Leaked UK US trade talks risk future flow of data with the EU
We come to the end of the 2019 election campaign, which has seen some huge controversies.US red lines for digital trade with the UK cause alarm
Trade negotiations between the US and the UK have recently received a lot of attention due to the publication of the official negotiating objectives of the US Government, which set out in sometimes candid detail the areas of interest and priorities.ORG calls for public participation in digital trade policy after Brexit
A key aspect of Brexit is the future of trade policy.More Information
16 November, 2020
Consumer and Digital Rights Groups Call on the International Joint Initiative on E-Commerce to Safeguard Data Protection and Privacy
Since January 2019, more than 80 countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been negotiating a new rule book for digital trade.
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06 November, 2020
Briefing: how the UK-Japan trade deal severs post-Brexit data adequacy
WHAT THE UK-JAPAN TRADE DEAL MEANS FOR DIGITAL RIGHTS
5 November 2020 Javier Ruiz
INTRODUCTION
The UK has just signed its first new free trade agreement independently from the EU, with Japan.
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26 March, 2020
Joint Letter to PM and SoS for International Trade on US talks and Covid-19 epidemic
Dear Prime Minister and Secretary of State for International Trade,
The United States Trade Representative announced on 23 March 2020 that “both the United States and the United Kingdom are committed to starting trade negotiations as soon as possible”, and the UK government has similarly signaled its desire to begin and conclude negotiations soon.
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16 September, 2019
Open Rights Group open letter to UK Gov on data flows in No Deal Brexit
16 September 2019
To: The Prime Minister, Minister in Charge of Exiting the European Union, Duchy of Lancaster (Minister in charge of No Deal planning), Secretary of State for DCMS
Re: UK-EU data flows in the event of a no deal Brexit
We are writing further to the publication of the “Operation Yellowhammer” documents to express our concerns about the Government’s lack of preparedness for continuation of cross-border data flows in the event of a no deal exit from the European Union on 31 October 2019 or any other date.
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13 May, 2019
Surveillance and Brexit
Issue
The practice of mass surveillance made headlines in 2013 when Edward Snowden exposed the widespread scale on which the UK security agency GCHQ was covertly intercepting and monitoring citizens’ private communications data.
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13 May, 2019
Privacy and Brexit
Privacy and Brexit
Issue
The right to privacy has become a key part of all our lives.
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13 May, 2019
Beyond Brexit – A briefing on Europe’s Digital Agenda
Beyond Brexit
A Briefing on Europe’s Digital Agenda
The European Parliamentary term of 2019-2024 will be critical for shaping the European digital agenda.
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06 March, 2019
Exiting the European Union Committee – Role of Parliament submission
Exiting the European Union Committee
Role of Parliament InquirySubmission by Open Rights Group
1.
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23 November, 2018
Response to consultation on the UK joining the CPTPP
We have general concerns about the process of trade policy, shared with much of civil society.
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23 November, 2018
Digital Privacy
Response to consultation on a new Free Trade Agreement with the United States
We have general concerns about the process of trade policy, shared with much of civil society.
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25 May, 2018
Evidence to UK Parliament on proposed EU-UK Security Treaty after Brexit
QUESTIONS
1.
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30 January, 2015
TTIP and digital rights
A PDF of the full collection of articles including this one is available here.
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Press Releases
11 September, 2020
Japan trade agreement could mean more “A level” style debacles
Reacting to the conclusion of the Japan-UK Trade Agreement, Matthew Rice, trade lead at Open Rights Group said:
“The Agreement apparently prevents algorithms being routinely checked.
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16 July, 2020
ORG’S REACTION TO SCHREMS II JUDGEMENT: BREXIT UK MUST ‘LEVEL UP’ NOT RACE TO BOTTOM
EU PUSHING FOR HIGH STANDARDS, UK MUST FOLLOW
Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group said:
“Schrems II means that the UK must choose either high standards with Europe, or a race to the bottom accepting low standards with the USA.
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20 February, 2020
Google move endangers UK privacy
Moving UK users’ data to the USA makes bulk surveillance easier, and data protection harder.
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