Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, digital tools have ensured the survival of many businesses and minimized devastating interruptions to education thereby accelerating a social and industrial shift towards a digital society for many countries. However, if societies are to continue to benefit from these shifts, it is essential that the use of digital technologies is underpinned by robust data security and privacy standards.
This has been recognized by the G7 which, together with the EU, has discussed the prioritization of digital policy. The recent Digital and Technology Ministers’ meeting demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting international rule-making on data flow including the G7 Roadmap for Cooperation on Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) and, as the holder of the G7 presidency in 2021, the UK is playing a key role in pushing forward this agenda while the EU is spearheading developments in digital policies including a proposal for AI regulation in the EU and Japan has been leading the DFFT initiative since its launch at the 2019 G20 summit.
In this context, the panel discuss the importance of policy coordination on digital and technology-related issues particularly with regard to data governance and flow as well as new technologies supporting data processing such as AI. The questions that the panel consider include:
- Why does DFFT matter?
- What are the challenges facing policymakers in developing new digital policies?
- How can different approaches to the free flow of data between the EU, UK and Japan be reconciled?
- How should the UK, EU and Japan work together to engage with the rest of the world
This webinar is being held in partnership with The Foundation for MultiMedia Communications (FMMC) in Japan.
Participants
Yoichi Iida, Deputy Director General for G7 and G20 Relations, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan
Silvia Viceconte, Head of Sector, Multilateral Affairs and Economic Cooperation, International Affairs and Policy Outreach Unit, European Commission, CONNECT Directorate General
David Prodger, Deputy Director, International Strategy, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sports, UK
Chair: Harriet Moynihan, Senior Research Fellow, International Law Programme, Chatham House
