New Privacy Agreement: EU, US sign agreement on data transfer policy

European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen has been shut down Agreement in principle Today with US President Joe Biden. Details of the new contracts are not yet available. Once the agreement is finalized, data from EU citizens will be allowed to move freely back to US companies.

The European Union and the United States have been negotiating the issue for almost two years. Major US technology companies such as Facebook parent company Meta have already given a hint Withdrawal from the European Union If an agreement is not reached. Many companies did not comply with the European Court of Justice’s ruling. Therefore, the authorities should take action as soon as possible.

‘Balanced Privacy and Security’

Van der Leyen talks about a ‘balanced and effective solution’. “It will enable predictable and reliable data flows between the EU and the United States, ensuring privacy and civil rights. We manage to balance security and the right to privacy and data protection.” An EU official said a final agreement on the matter would take several months Against Reuters⁇

EU court ruling

European Court of Justice Announced in July 2020 The so-called Privacy Shield has been invalid since 2016 following a complaint by Austrian privacy activist and lawyer Max Shremes about Facebook’s Irish branch. Shremes had complained to the Irish Data Protection Authority (DBC) about Facebook transferring Ireland’s personal data to Facebook in the United States. He wondered if they were adequately protected. The DPC consulted the Irish court, which then returned to the EU court.

The court ruled in favor of Schrems: Personal data sent by companies from Europe to the United States is less protected than the EU.

There is no support among experts

Says Shrems In a consideration Waiting for the final text of the agreement between the EU and the United States. “Once that text comes into force, we will work with our US legal experts to fully analyze it. If it does not comply with EU law, we or another group will challenge it. Then the European Court will have to decide again.”

He called today’s announcement a “political announcement.” “The deal was obviously a symbol that van der Leyne wanted, but the United States did not move because there was no support among experts in Brussels,” Shrems said.

“The United States has reportedly used the war against Ukraine to provoke the EU in this economic sphere,” he says. He regrets that the EU and the United States have not reached an agreement not to spy on each other. Schrems: “Customers and companies have been facing legal uncertainty for years.”