Reply to post: Re: Improved data access

PM urged to protect data flows post-Brexit ahead of Munich speech

Malcolm Weir Silver badge

Re: Improved data access

This is, of course, not exactly overly qualified in the truth department.

First, the idea that the GCHQ tap might be installed next to the NSA one requires a mirror, because, err, they are one and the same.

However, the core problem with YAAC's thinking is that it's exactly backward: right now, the BND et al. can gain access to data collected by GCHQ aka NSA once the UK walks it over to the other systems. Post Brexit, that will be harder. And while YAAC may think that will incentivize the BND et al to set up a data sharing deal (as the article mentioned), in practice that deal will be under much more of a spotlight than the old "invisible" boundary.

(In ImEx terms: the data will have to be exported from the UK and imported into the EU, and that creates two points where awkward questions could be asked.)

For those who think this is more a problem for the EU authorities than the UK ones, well, yes but... the thing about this sort of information is correlation. In trivially simplistic terms: no-one cares if someone buys a lot of fertilizer in the UK... but if the same person buys a tanker full of fuel oil in France, those two data points should make one go... Hmmm..!

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