ICO statement in response to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) laying the International data transfer agreement (IDTA), the International data transfer addendum to the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses (Addendum) and a document setting out transitional provisions as to the use of the current standard data protection clauses for international transfers before Parliament on 2 February 2022. This final step follows the consultation the ICO ran in 2021. The documents are issued under Section 119A of the Data Protection Act 2018.
An ICO spokesperson said:
“We welcome the news that DCMS has laid the IDTA, Addendum and transitional provisions before Parliament.
“The IDTA and Addendum are written with the aim of helping organisations ensure they have the correct protections in place when transferring people’s data outside of the UK to countries not covered by adequacy decisions. Applying high standards of data protection to global data flows is essential in maintaining people’s trust in this eco system.
“The IDTA and Addendum will also help to support the UK’s digital economy, by enabling the global flow of people’s personal data in order to deliver goods and services.
“We are continuing to develop additional tools and guidance to further help businesses assess requirements in this complex area.”
The IDTA, Addendum and transitional provisions will now lay before Parliament and come into force on 21 March 2022.
