EU: Protection of European data in the US at the same level as the GDPR

The United States (US) is taking adequate measures to limit access to Europeans’ data by US intelligence services, thereby protecting Europeans’ privacy. The European Union has stated this in a statement. The report brings a new EU-US privacy shield a step further.

The EU-US Privacy Shield regulates the exchange of data between the EU and the US. In March, the EU and the US already signed a preliminary agreement on a new privacy shield agreement. This is important because many companies are at risk of getting into legal trouble after the original 2020 Privacy Shield was declared invalid.

Not enough security

The EU ruled that the US did not adequately protect European personal data. This is due, among other things, to the access US intelligence services have had to Europeans’ data stored in the US, including personal data. This is a violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order in October imposing new rules on US intelligence services. Among other things, rules regarding data access by Europeans have been tightened.

European Commissioner Didier Reynders reports Now, with this decision, the US provides European personal data with the same level of protection as the US. Reinders talks about ‘stronger guarantees’ for the secure exchange of personal data on both sides of the Atlantic.

Activist Max Schrems was prominent

Prominent is Max Schrems, an Austrian privacy activist who has been fighting the Privacy Shield for years. Schrems suspects that the new privacy shield won’t survive the court’s indictment either.