New EU-US data transfer deal also faces criticism in Germany
French lawmaker Philippe Latombe has recently filed two lawsuits against the new transatlantic data protection agreement between the EU and the US. The suits, which aim to overturn the deal, have found substantial support in Germany, where many view the agreement critically. Given the EU court’s history of striking down two previous agreements for failing to meet EU data protection standards, it’s clear that this issue is far from being resolved.
Data activist Max Schrems, who famously brought down the previous EU-US Privacy Shield data transfer agreement, is also preparing a new case against Facebook that could potentially disrupt the tech giant’s data processing. It’s clear that the ongoing legal reviews and potential lawsuits are seen as necessary steps towards establishing clear and fair rules for companies.
The Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, has been united in their criticism of the new agreement. The consensus seems to be that the level of data protection in the US remains inadequate, and substantial changes are needed for any transatlantic data transfer agreement to be valid. Despite the concerns, there is recognition of the need for a secure basis for data exchange between major players like the US and Europe.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a data transfer agreement between the US and EU has faced such scrutiny. Previous agreements have been struck down due to risks of massive surveillance and spying on EU citizens by US intelligence agencies. The new EU-US Data Protection Framework, which came into effect on July 10, aims to address some of these concerns and limit the ways US intelligence agencies can obtain information about EU citizens. However, critics argue that it still violates the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Fundamental Rights charter.
Source: New EU-US data transfer deal also faces criticism in Germany – EURACTIV.com
