Add Data Privacy to List of Brexit Bumps for EU, U.K.

The smooth transfer of personal data between the European Union and the U.K. — from bank details to your Uber bill — is vital for almost every British business. The U.K. is intent on maintaining that relationship following Brexit. The EU isn’t making any promises.

An EU directive establishes that citizens have a fundamental right to privacy, including the protection of personal data and the “right to be forgotten” from search engines. For other countries that conform to these rules, the EU currently offers “adequacy agreements” so their data can be transferred across borders. Some countries, like New Zealand and Argentina, have been deemed as providing fully adequate data protection; the U.S. is only partially adequate and has a separate agreement with the EU. As long as it’s an EU member, the U.K. doesn’t have to prove its adequacy.