USA and UK sign Bilateral Data Access Agreement
The USA and the UK have signed the Bilateral Data Access Agreement, which will allow law enforcement agencies from either country to request electronic data regarding serious crime (including terrorism, child sexual abuse, and cybercrime) directly from tech companies based in the other country. The current Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) request process sees requests for electronic data from law enforcement and other agencies submitted and approved by central governments, and can take up to 2 years. The new agreement is expected to significantly speed up the timeline for obtaining electronic evidence.
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