Webinar Recap: A Comprehensive Overview of CBPRs
Last week, I was fortunate to participate in a webinar, hosted by Meru Data, where industry leaders discussed the value of the Global Cross Border Privacy Rules System (Global CBPR) and its role in helping organizations meet global privacy expectations through acquiring CBPR certification. The session was moderated by Priya Keshav, Founder & CEO of Meru Data, and also included Perry Li, Privacy Officer & Legal Director at OpenSpace.
The gist of the discussion focused on how businesses in today’s data-driven world are facing mounting pressure to demonstrate privacy compliance across jurisdictions, and, as Keshav explained, the Global CBPR is “scalable and operates seamlessly across jurisdictions” to help businesses do just that.
Regardless of whether a company is a data controller that is seeking a Global CBPR certification, or a data processor looking to obtain the counterpart Global Privacy Recognition for Processors (PRP) certification, BBB National Programs’ review process is designed to be rigorous. It includes a detailed review of privacy practices, documentation, and evidence of compliance.
Upon approval, companies receive a seal from BBB National Programs and are placed on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CBPR compliance directory. We work with organizations to understand their business model and guide them through the certification process in a way that best fits their needs.
“We saw a strong demand from international customers—especially in markets such as Australia and Japan—who wanted assurance of our privacy and data protection practices,” Li said. “The CBPR certification gave us a way to respond efficiently to those demands while minimizing friction between jurisdictions.”
Li then emphasized that CBPR was not just about checking a box—it was about continuous improvement of privacy practices.
“We didn’t want to rest on our laurels,” he explained. “We were already part of the [Data Privacy Framework] DPF program, but we saw CBPR as an opportunity to earn a badge of honor and get recommendations to improve our privacy compliance program.”
According to Li, the process of working with BBB National Programs was both methodical and consultative. He explained: “We worked with a licensed privacy attorney at BBB National Programs and used their software tool to track and document our progress. The process took several weeks, and we were happy to incorporate the remediation recommendations we received.”
“The certification is a trusted brand in key markets. It’s helped shorten deal cycles and allowed us to participate in RFIs and RFPs because we are now certified,” Li noted. “It’s also a powerful tool for our sales team to address vendor risk and compliance with prospective customers.”
Global CBPR helps companies navigate red tape and meet the expectations of large enterprise clients. We are seeing a shift where vendors are proactively seeking certification to do business with larger companies that expect compliance with privacy laws.
BBB National Programs has done an assessment to examine the overlap between the CBPR and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). From our own assessment and other reports that we’ve reviewed, there is an approximate 60% overlap between the CBPR and GDPR requirements.
As regulations evolve and new frameworks emerge—such as a potential CBPR 2.0 for AI governance—complying now can help companies prepare for future requirements.
The gist of the discussion focused on how businesses in today’s data-driven world are facing mounting pressure to demonstrate privacy compliance across jurisdictions, and, as Keshav explained, the Global CBPR is “scalable and operates seamlessly across jurisdictions” to help businesses do just that.
A Credible Privacy Compliance Mechanism
The Global CBPR is a co-regulation approach to data privacy protection, involving both government and independent accountability agents, such as BBB National Programs. As an accountability agent, we work with governments directly to ensure that the specifications and criteria they have defined can be met by companies.Regardless of whether a company is a data controller that is seeking a Global CBPR certification, or a data processor looking to obtain the counterpart Global Privacy Recognition for Processors (PRP) certification, BBB National Programs’ review process is designed to be rigorous. It includes a detailed review of privacy practices, documentation, and evidence of compliance.
Upon approval, companies receive a seal from BBB National Programs and are placed on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CBPR compliance directory. We work with organizations to understand their business model and guide them through the certification process in a way that best fits their needs.
A Case Study: Why OpenSpace Chose CBPR
OpenSpace is a SaaS company specializing in image-based and multi-modal AI for the construction industry. While based in the United States, the company operates across the Asia Pacific region and beyond. For Li from OpenSpace, the Global CBPR was a strategic choice to meet international customer expectations and improve internal privacy practices.“We saw a strong demand from international customers—especially in markets such as Australia and Japan—who wanted assurance of our privacy and data protection practices,” Li said. “The CBPR certification gave us a way to respond efficiently to those demands while minimizing friction between jurisdictions.”
Li then emphasized that CBPR was not just about checking a box—it was about continuous improvement of privacy practices.
“We didn’t want to rest on our laurels,” he explained. “We were already part of the [Data Privacy Framework] DPF program, but we saw CBPR as an opportunity to earn a badge of honor and get recommendations to improve our privacy compliance program.”
According to Li, the process of working with BBB National Programs was both methodical and consultative. He explained: “We worked with a licensed privacy attorney at BBB National Programs and used their software tool to track and document our progress. The process took several weeks, and we were happy to incorporate the remediation recommendations we received.”
Benefits Beyond Compliance
The speakers also discussed the tangible impacts of the Global CBPR certification for businesses.“The certification is a trusted brand in key markets. It’s helped shorten deal cycles and allowed us to participate in RFIs and RFPs because we are now certified,” Li noted. “It’s also a powerful tool for our sales team to address vendor risk and compliance with prospective customers.”
Global CBPR helps companies navigate red tape and meet the expectations of large enterprise clients. We are seeing a shift where vendors are proactively seeking certification to do business with larger companies that expect compliance with privacy laws.
Comparison with Other Privacy Frameworks
Li noted that while privacy frameworks may differ, their underlying principles are often aligned.BBB National Programs has done an assessment to examine the overlap between the CBPR and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). From our own assessment and other reports that we’ve reviewed, there is an approximate 60% overlap between the CBPR and GDPR requirements.
Leveraging CBPR Certification for Credibility and Emerging Standards
To close out the webinar, Li emphasized that while no certification can fully eliminate regulatory risk, CBPR provides transparency and credibility—especially in a fragmented global privacy environment.As regulations evolve and new frameworks emerge—such as a potential CBPR 2.0 for AI governance—complying now can help companies prepare for future requirements.