The DebriefCross-Border Data Sharing Agreement • October 9th, 2019
On 3 October 2019, the United Kingdom and the United States signed a landmark data sharing agreement to give law enforcement agencies in one country faster access to digital evidence held by service providers, such as web hosts and social media companies, located in the other (the “Agreement”).1 With requests under current Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (“MLATs”) taking months or even years, the Agreement aims to reduce wait times to weeks or sometimes days. It is expected to enter into force in the coming months, following review by the U.K. Parliament and the U.S. Congress.
