The first session of the IIF’s new DataTalk forum discussed the topic of Data Localization. An interactive discussion forum for leading industry experts, tech firms, officials and academics, DataTalk provides lively discussion, with the support of our knowledge partner, the Oliver Wyman Forum. This note provides a brief summary of the key themes that emerged in our discussion, respecting that this was conducted under the Chatham House rule, and comments are therefore not attributed.

Participants highlighted some of the barriers to the free flow of information, the economic costs of such measures, and the various motivations that underpin such measures. Several focused on the need for interoperability between different national privacy regimes, the opportunities for trade agreements to help enable cross-border connectivity, and the underlying criticality of trust. These debates over data localization will continue, and will feature prominently in the IIF’s exploration of a potential ‘Digital Bretton Woods’.

The DataTalk series will continue in May, when we will discuss the intersections and overlaps of Risk and Data Management functions.

For more information on this forum, please contact [email protected].