Japan: UK and Japan signed joint statement on data adequacy

On 23 April 2025, Japan’s Personal Information Protection Commission and the United Kingdom’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology signed a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to promoting free data flows with high standards of protection under the Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) framework. The arrangement expands the scope of the Japan-UK data adequacy agreement, enhancing protections to cover academia and the public sector. The expansion builds on Japan's 2021 data protection reform and is expected to support collaborative research and strengthen bilateral economic agreements such as the Digital Partnership and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Both parties committed to implementing the expanded framework by spring 2026, with further technical reviews scheduled to precede the final decision on implementation.