The ICO exists to empower you through information.

This consultation has closed

We are seeking responses on our draft international data transfer agreement (IDTA) and guidance, which replace Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

We recognise the importance of international data flows to the UK’s digital economy and are committed to maintaining high standards of data protection for people’s personal information when being transferred outside of the UK.

Our IDTA and associated documents also form part of a wider UK package to assist international transfers, including independently supporting the Government’s approach to adequacy assessments of third countries. We aim to provide greater regulatory certainty and assist organisations to comply with the law.

Our consultation is split into three sections, offering a selection of proposals and options to consider.

  1. Proposal and plans for updates to guidance on international transfers.
  2. Transfer risk assessments.
  3. The international data transfer agreement.

We are also asking for views on any relevant privacy rights, legal, economic or policy considerations and implications. Your responses will help us understand the practical impact of our proposed approaches on your organisations.

We are keen to hear from all interested parties including:

  • data protection practitioners needing to consider the international transfer of personal data,
  • legal professionals advising on the international transfer of personal data,
  • small, medium and micro businesses requiring an accessible way to understand the law,
  • multinational organisations that need UK laws to help them conduct international business involving the transfer of personal data as well as being interoperable with other data protection regimes, and
  • civil society.

Input at this early stage can make a significant difference as we will use the responses we receive to inform our work in developing the final documents.

To respond to this consultation please download and complete the consultation paper and questions document below and email to [email protected] by 5pm on Monday 11 October 2021.

We are running online workshops in September which are open to anyone involved in the international transfer of data. Please register your interest by completing and submitting the Snap Survey below.

Privacy statement

We will publish all responses we receive unless you request otherwise. For the responses we publish, we will remove personal contact details. Please be mindful not to share any information in your response which you would not be happy for us to make publicly available.

For more information about what we do with personal data see our privacy notice.