The future of data transfers from the EU to the US unsure as Facebook loses a High Court case in Ireland
As Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner proposed an order, which could potentially prohibit social media data transfers between the US and the UK, Facebook filed for a High Court case against the proposal. The Commissioner decided that Facebook’s data transfer mechanisms do not sufficiently protect the privacy rights of EU citizens, and therefore, they should be prohibited. The court’s decision has enormous implications for Facebook and numerous other tech companies, as the way data is transferred between the EU and other countries may change soon. Standard contractual clauses (SCCs), which are currently used for data transfers, may become obsolete in the upcoming months. Facebook’s spokesman stated that the company looks “forward to defending our compliance to the IDPC, as their preliminary decision could be damaging not only to Facebook but also to users and other businesses.”
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