Mandatory Business-To-Government Data Sharing: Exploring data protection through International Investment Law

As more data is gathered, analysed and stored, private companies create new products and unlock new commercial frontiers. Simultaneously, governments are beginning to realise that the laws in place require a revamp for the good of commercial innovation and for execution of governmental prerogatives. Hence, in a bid to catch up with the data economy, governments have begun looking for new legal measures that allow them to legally access the data that is held by private companies. Amongst the existing solutions and sprouting suggestions, mandatory business-to-government data sharing often features as a measure through which obligations may be imposed upon private data holding companies to share their data with governments. Other governments have already put in place laws and adopted practices that impose mandatory business-to-government data sharing obligations on private companies. Many of the countries where private enterprises carry out their businesses have entered into International Investment Agreements (IIAs) which invariably entitle investors to Fair and Equitable treatment and prohibit unlawful compensation. Against this background, this thesis discusses the subject of mandatory business-to-government data sharing by dwelling on three main issues, that is, (i) whether data is/are protected as investment, (2) whether mandatory business-to-government data sharing obligations may infringe the Fair and Equitable Treatment standard and (3) whether mandatory business-to-government data sharing obligations may amount to unlawful expropriation.