Japan, U.K. to promote personal data transfers

Japan and the U.K. have announced plans to expand the sharing of personal data between their nations, beginning as early as spring 2026. This move aims to support medical research in Japan by enabling universities and research institutes to access clinical trial data from the U.K., potentially accelerating biological research using genetic information. Currently, only companies can transfer personal data without consent due to existing privacy protections, but this collaboration seeks to streamline processes for research and administrative data exchanges.