Opinion | What Hong Kong can learn from the European Union to enable better data sharing in the Greater Bay Area
- Policymakers in the Greater Bay Area should establish a closed-loop regional network within which the free movement of digital goods and services can be carefully monitored
On December 24, many multinational companies in Britain breathed a collective sigh of relief after a deal was struck with the European Union to extend a grace period to permit the free flow of data between the two regions. The saga highlights the urgency of including data transfers in all national and regional trade treaties.
In Hong Kong, the discussion on sharing data for the greater good is finally gaining momentum. In fact, the groundwork may have been laid by the pandemic. Driven by social distancing, Hongkongers are warming to the idea of sharing their data virtually in the name of convenience.
Cross-border data flows need not be unfettered. Instead of choosing either extreme – an isolated data island or unconstrained data flows – policymakers in the Greater Bay Area should establish a closed-loop regional network within which the free movement of digital goods and services can be carefully monitored.
To implement this, data protection standards across regions must be rooted in the basic tenet of privacy protection reciprocity. Data owners must be assured that their information is protected by a privacy and security management system or other appropriate safeguard no less stringent than those outlined by their own laws. The flow of extremely sensitive data within the region must be strictly controlled.
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Cross-border law enforcement must also be normalised. Chinese regulators should be encouraged to develop bilateral regional agreements, and other binding principles and accreditation frameworks that support a fast-track exemption route for Greater Bay Area companies that serve customers across regions.