The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has entered into two international cooperation agreements allowing it to work with organisations around the world during investigations.

A spokeswoman for the office said that it has joined both the Global Privacy Enforcement Network and the Global Privacy Assembly’s Enforcement Cooperation Agreement.

Alexander White, Privacy Commissioner, said: “There are many benefits to working with our international colleagues.

“Not only do we benefit from their experience to operate more efficiently and effectively, but we can also serve as the voice of Bermudians in matters of data or technology regulation of global and multinational entities.”

GPEN, which includes jurisdictions on every continent including Canada, Ireland, the UK and the US, supports cooperation through exchanges of information about relevant issues and trends and offers shared training and expertise.

The organisation also offers coordinated investigations, discussions on investigation techniques and cross-jurisdictional education projects.

Meanwhile under the ECA, participant jurisdictions are expected to “promote a common understanding and approach to cross-border enforcement cooperation”, sharing enforcement-related material along with knowledge, expertise and experience to help each other.

The spokeswoman added: “The Office of the Privacy Commissioner engages with its international counterparts to enhance Bermuda's reputation as a regulatory leader and to ensure that its guidance and actions are consistent with standards and best practices around the world.

“Individuals benefit from this engagement because their privacy rights are interpreted according to the high standards of global consensus.

“Organisations benefit because our guidance reflects consensus best practices and our regulatory actions become interoperable standards that suit multiple jurisdictions, promoting consistency and reducing compliance costs.”