New Kid on the Block: The Global CBPR Forum

In a bid to promote cross-border data protection and privacy, the U.S. Department of Commerce has announced the creation of the Global CBPR Forum. This international organization aims to help bridge regulatory approaches and establish a certification system for companies looking to demonstrate compliance with data protection regulations worldwide.

The Global CBPR Forum is comprised of representatives from several major economies, including Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, and Chinese Taipei. Together with the Department, these countries will work to promote interoperability to facilitate cross-border data flows between their economies, the declaration states.

"The establishment of the Global CBPR Forum reflects the beginning of a new era of multilateral cooperation in promoting trusted global data flows that are critically important to our modern economy. The Global CBPR Forum intends to establish the Global Cross Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) and Privacy Recognition for Processors (PRP) Systems, first-of-their-kind data privacy certifications that help companies demonstrate compliance with internationally recognized data privacy standards," said Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

By establishing a certification system that allows businesses to demonstrate compliance with various regulations worldwide, the Global CBPR Forum is expected to provide much-needed clarity for companies doing business internationally. According to analysts, this will help facilitate cross-border trade and investment, which is essential for promoting economic growth globally.

A month before this announcement, the Department had disclosed that the U.S. and EU had reached an agreement in principle on a new legal framework for data transfers from the EU to the U.S. This framework involves GDPR-compliant data transfers, which involve the European Union’s stringent data protection law.

The Global CPBR Forum is independent of the APEC CBPR System but is based on it and the PRP System. According to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of the Global CBPR Forum, accountability agents will help formally transition operations from the APEC CBPR system to the Global CBPR Forum, and companies currently certified under the APEC CBPR system will be able to transition freely.

"The new Forum will facilitate trade, and international data flows and promote global cooperation, building on our shared data privacy values while recognizing the differences in our domestic approaches to protecting data privacy. With this unique approach founded on creating practical compliance tools and based on cooperation, we can make the digital economy work for consumers and businesses of all sizes alike," Raimondo added.

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