U.K. to Abide by EU Data Protection Laws After Brexit

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. has committed to abiding by European Union data protection laws regarding the processing of personal information once Britain leaves the bloc, according to the draft withdrawal treaty published Wednesday.

The EU wants to ensure that the personal data of European citizens is handled securely and in a way that protects their privacy when it’s transferred outside the bloc. Without such a commitment, the EU could seek to prevent commercial data transfers to Britain, which would create havoc for companies.

Firms operating on both sides of the English Channel need to smoothly move data, like payroll information or customer bills, between countries.

To contact the reporter on this story: Natalia Drozdiak in Brussels at ndrozdiak1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Giles Turner at gturner35@bloomberg.net, Nate Lanxon, Molly Schuetz

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