Data currently flows freely between the UK and other EU countries. Daphne Leprince-Ringuet Wired explained why a no-deal Brexit could put this in jeopardy.
The UK is part of the mutually agreed General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into force in 2018 and covers its European members with the world’s strongest data protection rules. This means that personal information gathered in other GDPR-protected countries can enter the UK with no barriers, as it is assured that data will be equally protected in the country. The UK’s Data Protection Act 2018 supplements GDPR, and in some cases goes slightly further, making the UK’s rules more stringent in some specific cases. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Data Protection Act will ensure that personal information processed in the UK will keep enjoying the same level of protection they do now. Still, under EU law, the UK will be automatically considered a third country not bound by GDPR rules, and able to diverge from the current strong standards if parliament so decides. Consequently, data from EU countries would not be able to flow freely to the UK.
Check It Out: No No-Deal Brexit Could Lead to a Data Disaster