Your privacy must not become a bargaining chip. British privacy laws ensure that you control your personal data and are protected from privacy violations.
But this could come to an end in 2021 if politicians agree to throw away our privacy standards as part of a trade agreement with the US.
The wrong trade deal could see your data ending up in the hands of dodgy companies, and there will be little to protect you legally. The US is a data wild west. Unfettered trade could mean accepting US companies using your data under US law. Without proper legal safeguards, your data can be bought and sold across borders.
Faceless data brokers will buy and sell your data and you won’t have any control over it. Everything from your shopping, financial and spending habits to something as intimate as your genetic data could be available to the highest bidders. Here’s where it even gets worse. In the UK, it would be unlawful for companies to handle stolen health and genetics data. But not in the US.
Whilst in the UK, the companies are responsible to ensure personal data is secure and held accountable for any security breaches, this is not the case in the US. Our privacy must not become a bargaining chip in trade negotiations. Unaccountable corporations must not exert control over our fundamental rights and liberties. Parliament must not lose its ability to protect our rights.
We have to stop this data power grab. Our rights and liberties must not be sold to the highest bidder. The clock is ticking. Your voice can make all the difference. Take action now by signing the petition to protect our privacy rights. openrightsgroup.org/take-action
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