From: BusinessGhana
We live in a global, digitally networked world. Cloud, mobile and in-memory technologies are its engines. Our new world has no boundaries; there is a huge potential for growth, employment and new business models. But it also comes with challenges for policy and industry. In response to leaks about the US National Security Agency’s widespread surveillance, there have been lots of understandable concerns. Unfortunately, some parties have suggested building fortresses around national data.
I believe that the new technologies and the free flow of data are essential to spurring innovation and expanding international trade. This is only possible if consumers and citizens trust the digital economy
and use it extensively.
We urgently need an internal harmonization of security and privacy regulations in Europe, but these cannot lead to building data barriers around the continent. On the contrary, Europe should work toward a
global solution with other partners, starting with the United States. As both continue their transformation into digital economies, policymakers and industry representatives from both continents should come together and take an ambitious approach to creating joint standards and procedures that enable cross-border data flows under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
In so doing, we should also strengthen the Safe Harbor agreement between the European Union and the United States, which facilitates data transfers between businesses in both areas.
Of course, such agreements should include provisions that reaffirm each party’s right to protect its citizens’ private data as well as sensitive government or business data. With this we also need to jointly
address challenges in privacy, cyber-security, and protection of intellectual property. Important work needs to be done to establish due-process norms and enforceable rules regarding government access to
private and industry data. But all this should also be done with an eye to boosting global commerce and facilitating data flows.
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