09/27/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/27/2021 15:53
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we've seen our reliance on digital tools, services, and infrastructure grow and become the key way to maintain business and connection with others around the world. This rapid digital transformation has improved the reliability and flexibility of vital services - when movement of data across borders is possible.
At the same time, the increasingly complex data transfer landscape across G20 economies has made operations more challenging for global businesses, according to new research from Salesforce and Access Partnership, a leading public policy consultancy focused on technology.
The Data Beyond Borders 2.0 report updates and expands on 2019's report, helping to show how data transfer policies are evolving. It ranks eight regulatory dimensions that either restrict or enhance the volume and variety of cross-border data flows for G20 economies, and identifies opportunities for governments to create accessible and interoperable policies to optimize global data transfer while protecting privacy.
The new report also shows that, in turn, more predictable and open data transfer policies correlate to stimulated economies, increased competitiveness, and new opportunities.
These insights come at a time when optimizing data transfer policies is more important than ever due to the increased digitization of economies, and as we collectively work towards fostering a global economic recovery.
Similar to the first edition of the report in 2019, the Cross-Border Data Flows Index (CBDFI) assesses the G20 economies' approach to cross-border data flows. Japan once again topped the CBDFI by providing the most consistent policy and regulatory framework for optimizing cross-border data flows, while also providing a commitment to the critical importance of privacy protections. The United Kingdom, and Singapore - in its inaugural year - are leaders as well, with the second- and third-highest scores.
At the core of our analysis of these economies is a close correlation between maximized cross-border data flows, economic growth, competitiveness, and opportunity.
With our analysis, we also identified actions countries can take to support cross-border data transfers and encourage innovation. Together, these recommendations will play an important role in turbo-charging economic recovery, and create urgency for G20 economies to align on more consistent and interoperable cross-border data flow policies.
In an increasingly digitalized global economy, we must understand and appreciate the importance of data utilization and data flows to global economic recovery and growth.
We must also continue the work to preserve and evolve trusted data transfer mechanisms.
Salesforce is committed to help create awareness of the benefits both of data privacy policies and practices, and also of effective data transfer policies.
We look forward to the ongoing work with all stakeholders to drive awareness, understanding, and progress on these policy topics that are critical to our customers and the countries in which we operate.