Minister to engage with U.S. Administration ahead of first annual review of EU-US Privacy Shield
The Minister of State for Data Protection, Dara Murphy TD, is today (Wednesday) visiting Washington D.C. where he will speak at the Global Privacy Summit, hosted by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Minister Murphy will speak during a session entitled 'A Bridge to Europe: Ireland's Growing Role in the Transatlantic Data Economy' which is part of a Conversations in Privacy series.
While in Washington, the Minister will engage with the U.S. Administration ahead of the first annual review of the EU-US Privacy Shield due to take place later this year.
Speaking in advance of the event, Minister Murphy said:
"The Global Privacy Summit is an important gathering of influencers, policy makers, practitioners and regulators in the space of data privacy and data protection. This year's event provides a welcome opportunity for me, as Minister of State for Data Protection, to engage with an international audience of experts to highlight the evolving landscape of Ireland's data protection regime in a European context, just over a year out from the entry into force of the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
"I look forward to sharing some of the work that we've been engaged in within Government, which has helped ensure that our data protection regulatory climate is held in high regard internationally - a fact confirmed by a recent Forbes survey. Through the work of the Government Data Forum and with our forthcoming Data Summit in June, we're looking at wider issues around the emergence of the data society and how we can achieve the right balance around privacy and personal data, security and innovation.
Speaking about the importance of the EU-US Privacy Shield ahead of his meetings with the US Administration, the Minister said:
"Virtually every type of cross-border transaction now has a digital component. Between 2005 and 2012 we saw an 18-fold increase in cross-border internet traffic globally, driven in large part by the growth of digital trade between the US and the EU - a trend which is set to continue. Personal data transfers are just one element of the picture, but a critically important one. The ability to transfer data internationally, in a secure and smooth manner, is vital, and particularly so for the EU and the US given our levels of trade.
"Mechanisms, such as the Privacy Shield, that provide a lawful and robust system for data transfers that works for citizens and business alike are key. The forthcoming review of the Privacy Shield is an opportunity to build on the progress we've made in agreeing this new mechanism, to further improve it with the benefit of experience on both sides of the Atlantic since its introduction last year."