On February 28, 2020, the United States and the United Kingdom signed the Access to Electronic Data for the Purpose of Countering Serious Crime agreement, which allows U.K. law enforcement to “obtain an overseas production order (OPO) against a person who operates in or is based in the U.S., demanding the production of, or access to, electronic data, wherever it is stored.”
Under the previous system, after a request for mutual legal assistance was made, requested materials could take several months or years to be produced. The agreement requires OPOs to be served within three months, and electronic data to be produced within seven days.
