Digital Forensics Dispatch

Deal Reached to Increase Speed of US/UK Evidence Exchange

October 8, 2019

Earlier this year, we reported on the negotiations set to streamline the process of potential evidence exchange between the United States and the European Union in criminal investigations.

On Thursday, the agreement was reached which will allow law enforcement officers to demand evidence from tech companies residing in the other country. The agreement is set to drastically speed up investigations and allow for a timely collection of digital evidence.

US Attorney General William Barr made a statement about the importance of the deal: “Only by addressing the problem of timely access to electronic evidence of crime committed in one country that is stored in another, can we hope to keep pace with 21st Century threats.”

The deal has been criticized by groups such as the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The groups have concerns about the deal’s potential to allow law enforcement to bypass constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. The two counties have justified the deal by emphasizing the ability to fight serious crime in quick-moving investigations.

The agreement will go into place after a six month review period for from Congress has passed.

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