Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Accepted
Paragraph: 33
The UK’s position on technology standards vis-à-vis the US and EU remains unclear and the...
Recommendation
The UK’s position on technology standards vis-à-vis the US and EU remains unclear and the Government’s stance on many elements of the Transatlantic Trade and Technology Partnership remain ambiguous. The UK therefore risks becoming Encoding values: Putting tech at the heart of UK foreign policy 31 a rule-taker rather than a rule-maker. The Government should clearly articulate its position on data sharing, privacy and private-sector regulation, so that it can establish a starting point for discussions on deeper cooperation with the US and the EU. This position should be set out within the forthcoming International Technology Strategy or a related policy document to inform the FCDO’s efforts to influence standards and norms at the international level.
Government Response Summary
The UK Government has articulated its position on data protection, privacy, and data sharing through the National Data Strategy and the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. The International Technology Strategy will be a key document which builds on existing strategies and policy by setting out the UK’s approach for technology leadership on the global stage.
Paragraph Reference:
33
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The UK Government has articulated its position on data protection, privacy, and data sharing through the National Data Strategy and the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. Alongside the National Data Strategy, DCMS also published a policy framework setting out HMG’s priorities and criteria for policy interventions to facilitate responsible data access, data availability and data sharing, this included further detail on the UK Government’s global approach to digital, data and technology as set out in the UK Digital Strategy, all of which have informed the forthcoming International Technology Strategy. 5.2 The International Technology Strategy will be a key document which builds on existing strategies and policy by setting out the UK’s approach for technology leadership on the global stage. The UK is leading the way internationally in this space, with other countries looking to the upcoming International Technology Strategy to shape their own approaches to technology and foreign policy. Data is a crucial enabler of technologies and vital to the UK economy. Internationally, the UK plays a key role in driving dialogues on global data governance. Under the 2021 UK Presidency, the G7 agreed an ambitious set of commitments together in the Roadmap for Cooperation on Data Free Flow with Trust. The UK continues to work closely with the US and EU to further our shared trade and technology objectives. We are already focused on delivering trade and technology cooperation with the EU and US through the provisions of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU, the US-UK Future of Atlantic Trade dialogues, and the UK- US landmark technology partnership announced at Carbis Bay in June 2021, through which we launched a joint UK/US Prize Challenge to accelerate the development of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies. We will continue to advance UK interests in trade and technology and explore further areas of cooperation with partners where mutually beneficial. 5.3 More broadly, the UK is playing a leading role in shaping the global conversation on digital regulation. The International Regulatory Coordination Strategy outlines our desire to drive international collaboration to improve the UK’s domestic regulatory environment and our standing internationally, and the Plan for Digital Regulation paper sets out the government’s overall international regulatory approach.