Privacy Shield adopted: Certifications can be filed from 1 August

The EU Commission adopted the Privacy Shield yesterday for transfers of personal data from the EU to the US. The adequacy decision has been notified to the 28 EU Member States and thereby enters into force immediately. The Privacy Shield framework will be published in the US Federal Register, which is equivalent to the EU Official Journal, and companies will be able to certify with the US Department of Commerce from 1 August.

The US Department of Commerce will operate the programme. Businesses that have previously been in the Safe Harbor cannot automatically transfer to this framework but have to assess their compliance against the new, more rigorous requirements.
Potential users of the Privacy Shield should use this mechanism aware that a legal challenge to the Privacy Shield is likely.

Further information and supporting documents