UK calls for maintained data co-operation in latest Brexit paper

Theresa May’s government has called on the EU to agree to a shared approach to the protection of data when the UK leaves the bloc in April 2019.

Ahead of further Brexit negotiations between the two sides, the government released a series of policy papers in relation to several issues to be discussed.

The latest paper proposed that the UK and the EU continue to exchange data between public authorities such as law enforcement agencies in a free and flowing manner.

"In the modern world, data flows increasingly underpin trade, business and all relationships. We want the secure flow of data to be unhindered in the future as we leave the EU," Minister for Digital Matt Hancock said.

"So a strong future data relationship between the UK and EU, based on aligned data protection rules, is in our mutual interest."

Britain’s digital economy was worth almost £120bn as of 2015, and that figure is likely to increase in the coming years.

Several UK businesses and public agencies rely on EU data, which will now come under risk due to Brexit.

"The paper published today sets out how we think our data relationship should continue. Our goal is to combine strong privacy rules with a relationship that allows flexibility, to give consumers and businesses certainty in their use of data," Hancock concluded.