EU-US data protection shield: What happens to our data? – tagesschau.de

When European and US performances encounter privacy successive collide worlds. This has as seen by the European Court, and stopped by the Data Protection Agreement Safe Harbour. Now the successor enters into force.

By Andreas Meyer-Feist, ARD Studio Brussels

What make Google , Facebook or other Internet giants to my data? The wonder many. Because the internet is the innermost turned outward. It’s about name, friends, addresses, order profiles and positions, if you like to buy a lot or moderate life lives in a good or bad neighborhood. Who can know all this? As few, says the EU. After all this is a private matter, as long as the data are not anonymous – or disclosure by the users is expressly permitted. The EU also wanted the US aware of the concerns of users – they are to be taken seriously there. Because across the Atlantic, most data come together, in one place, which is actually beyond the reach of European data protection rules.

This will change with the new agreement. Whether that will actually be so, does not depend only on the goodwill of the United States. Whether it funktiniert as you would expect in Brussels, is to be reviewed annually. A pressure medium of Europeans. Because especially in the European Parliament, at the European data protection authorities, and not least among Internet users in the mistrust has grown significantly over the data security in the United States – not least after the revelations of whistleblower Edward Snowdon. He had claimed that US intelligence helped themselves fully and openly from the data reservoir lands from Europe to US servers

Different ideas -. In the US and the EU

“bring together the United States and Europe in terms of data protection, is not easy,” said US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker in Brussels, “but today it is more important than ever.”

This was a small sigh after long weeks of negotiations. On the other side of the table: EU Justice Commissioner věra jourová: “We have worked very hard for a new start in data protection now, the agreement to enter into force.”.

A Seal – for minimum standards

The name: EU-US data protection shield. One can think of it as a kind of compulsory label for companies that are active on both sides of the Atlantic and send personal data to the US. Benefits may this “seal of approval” those companies that promise to at least meet the minimum standards of the European data protection, and not only in Europe, but even if the data is sent to partner companies or subsidiaries in the US.

For companies which is a great advantage. They are exempt from much bureaucracy. Who has the seal does not have to constantly seek extra permits about when German data protection authorities for certain business models. Benefits are also Internet users from new agreements have: It is intended to give more rights of appeal directly to the US. European members may ask for information, where their data land and what is done with them. And they are trusted, that their data will not be stored indefinitely.

right to be forgotten?

The “right to be forgotten” so shall then become a reality if unwanted data are no longer in the EU long. The entry points are added: “The Privacy Shield will strengthen the transatlantic economy and our shared values ​​reaffirm” hopes Commissioner Jourova. but for their US Verhandlunspartnerin it is not just about values, but above all to red tape as little retarded economic growth in the booming Internet sector: “For consumers means the free flow of information that they benefit from the latest digital products and services, regardless where they arise “

p class =>. “the ideas of what is good protection, are still far apart in spite of the new agreement. For Europeans, it is about the protection of privacy. For Americans, especially to safety. A sensitive issue is the controversial access by US intelligence to data of EU citizens, which are stored in the United States. But here too, the US authorities can no longer simply ducking.

If errors intelligence must delete

A special arbitration board to ensure ensure that requests by EU citizens also when the intelligence services do not migrate into the trash. It should give a little more transparency. There is even correction duties, if the intelligence agencies have something stored “wrong”. but to delete it can not be forced. They also continue to read with. However, be assured in Washington that a “mass storage” European data does not exist and is not planned. Verify is not

The Austrian Max Schrems is therefore less satisfied. “As it gets very reason that you can complain somewhere But if all this is legal anyway, bring me. also a complaints body not much. ” The 29-year-old lawyer from Salzburg had set the ball rolling. With an action against an older data protection agreement between Europe and the United States called “safe harbor” (Safe Harbour).

Age data port was considered unsafe

The European Court had declared this information Harbor last year for highly uncertain and forced renegotiation with the US , It has now become the EU-US data protection shield. “Now the entire mass surveillance is apparently not there anymore, because the EU has received a few letters from the United States that all this is not so,” laments Schrems. He believes: The secret services continue to read with

However:. With the new agreement, it could be easier for users to learn what the intelligence community actually saved at the end. These should satisfy a written submission on the said arbitration. The US authorities are required to answer – if no safety implications are. This means that the answers from overseas are likely to often be a short one. And not always satisfactory for European Internet users.

this subject reported tagesschau on July 12, 2016 by 16:00.