Access Now Calls for Privacy Shield to be Struck Down

Access Now has called on the European Commission to strike down the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, a framework that permits the transfer of Europeans' personal data to the U.S. In comments to the Commission, Access Now wrote "the Privacy Shield has manifestly failed to meet the standards set by EU law from inception to today." The comments cite the limited redress provided by the Privacy Shield Ombudsperson, increased U.S. border surveillance, and the Cambridge Analytica scandal among the shortcomings in US privacy protection. EPIC's earlier comments on the Privacy Shield highlighted the failure of the U.S. to curtail surveillance authorities, the absence of a comprehensive privacy law and a data protection agency. Next month the European Commission will decide whether to renew the pact.