Estelle Massé (Archived Bio)

More than two dozen civil society groups working in the European Union and United States have a single message for European lawmakers: the “Privacy Shield” manifestly fails to protect privacy.

In issuing the Privacy Shield data-transfer agreement, the European Commission has made critical errors when it comes to United States surveillance laws and practices.

The E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield is supposed to replace the “Safe Harbor” data-transfer agreement that was invalidated by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Yet a newly released draft of the agreement shows it has the same fundamental flaws — and includes a carve-out for mass data collection.

The United Kingdom is considering a dangerous surveillance law that puts human rights at risk. Proposed changes to the law fail to address its fundamental flaws.

Negotiators in the European Union and the United States have agreed on a stop-gap measure to allow companies to transfer private data overseas. But the “EU-US Privacy Shield” is not likely to withstand legal challenge. To protect privacy, we need reform, not rebranding.

The European Commission has announced a new agreement to allow companies like Facebook to transfer users’ data between the E.U. and U.S. It’s not clear whether this “E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield” — formerly the “Safe Harbor” agreement — will protect privacy and withstand legal scrutiny or challenge.

Talks continue in the effort to forge a new E.U.-U.S. “Safe Harbor” data-transfer agreement. Regardless of how long it takes, robust legal reform is needed before a new agreement can be reached that could resist legal challenge.

The EU wants to create databases of information about everyone flying into, out of, or across Europe—no matter where you’re from or why you’re travelling.

The “Schrems” ruling in Europe invalidated the EU-US “Safe Harbour” agreement that allowed companies like Facebook to transfer data overseas. Here’s how the law needs change before a new agreement can be reached that would resist legal challenge.