EU-US Privacy Shield: Let's make privacy great again - Hoofdinhoud

The European Parliament has today approved a resolution expressing concerns about the legal shortcomings in the Privacy Shield scheme, the framework for exchanges of personal data for commercial purposes between the EU and the US. The ALDE Group is particularly worried about the legal status of the safeguards offered by the US, especially under the Trump administration. The European Commission must examine the compliance of the Privacy Shield scheme with the new data protection regulation and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Sophie in ‘t Veld, ALDE first vice-president and spokesperson for data protection, said:

“ In September, the European Commission must undertake the first annual review of Privacy Shield. The Commission should use this opportunity to conduct an in-depth examination of all the weaknesses of the framework, as pointed out by this parliament, the Article 29 Working Party, the European Data Protection Supervisor and the stakeholders”.

“In order to ensure legal certainty to the almost 2000 companies that are registered in Privacy Shield, the Commission must ensure this framework is legally sound. If our concerns are not solved, we could again see this framework being challenged in Court, as happened with Safe Harbor".  

“We need clarification regarding the legal status of the written assurances provided by the US, which were made under the Obama administration. If the safeguards proposed by the US under the Obama administration were already doubtful, with Trump those commitments could be in danger. His latest measures, including the executive order on public safety in the Interior of the United States, could have a terrible impact on EU citizens, whose data is supposed to be protected under the Privacy shield scheme”.

“The US has only appointed one out of the five members due to compose the oversight board tasked with ensuring the personal data of EU citizens is not abused”.

"The EU has developed very strong safeguards to protect European's data and privacy. We must ensure these standards are not put at risk".

“Let's make privacy great again”