Some US companies who do business in the UK are wondering
whether they need to update their GDPR notices or take other steps
now that the UK has officially left the European Union. The answer
is: Not yet. The threat of a "Hard
Brexit" with immediate changes to UK laws has passed. We have
eleven months to go before the next key deadline. The steps that US
and other companies will need to take will depend on the
discussions between the UK and the EU during that time.
As of January 31, when the UK officially left the EU under the
Withdrawal Agreement, the UK is in a transition period that will
end on December 31, 2020. The transition period is effectively a
regulatory standstill period during which the UK will abide by
current EU laws and be treated as a member of the EU's single
market. During the transition period, the EU and UK will attempt to
negotiate new deals governing trade,
immigration, law enforcement, security, and other matters. The
December 31, 2020 end