Exchange on accountability in modern data governance

Upon request by the EU Data Governance in Africa Initiative, Thorsten Wetzling and Corbinian Ruckerbauer had the pleasure to host a delegation of representatives from the African Union Commission and Regional Economic Communities to discuss the regulation and oversight of government access to data in the realm of the security sector. The lively discussion touched upon questions of cross-border transfers of data and ways to ensure effective and independent oversight and accountability with respect to different modes of data use by law enforcement, national security and defence agencies. 

The discussion also focused on the modernised Convention 108 of the Council of Europe as it lays an important foundation with respect to the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data.