The deadline for US and EU policymakers to negotiate a replacement for the Safe Harbor transatlantic data transfer agreement passed overnight, meaning your favorite internet services have no legal framework for protecting your digital information.
The previous law was struck down by the European Court of Justice after an Austrian privacy activist challenged Facebook’s data transfer policy following Ed Snowden’s revelations of mass government spying.
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In the interim, the European Commission set out alternative measures for companies transferring data between the US and Europe, as well as making 13 recommendations that is was hoping would make the basis of the new settlement.
The New York Times details a number of concessions offered by the US in order to ensure the deal is made, including more oversight of its work by relevant European bodies, but officials are clearly still concerned about what those promises really mean.
National data protection authorities from across Europe, which are charged with protecting the privacy of European citizens, are set to unveil their post-Safe Harbor plans this week too. They are expected to be even less forgiving.
There is an announcement slated for tonight in the European Parliament, but it’s not clear whether there will be anything to announce.
➤ Brussels Briefing: Safe harbour day [FT]
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