The Data Safe Harbor Rule
The Safe Harbor Rule was established in 2000 between the European Union (EU) and the United States (US). This agreement allowed businesses to legally funnel information across the Atlantic. Such data is normally transferred during global commerce, email correspondence, and even social media communication. Europe has stricter privacy guidelines to protect its citizens than the US does. Under the Safe Harbor agreement, US companies could “self-certify” that they met Europe’s stricter privacy standards in order to gain access to European markets.
In early October, the European Court of Justice ruled that the US approach to domestic surveillance was not up to European standards. Basically, this happened because the court was concerned that the US would compromise the data of European citizens swept up in our country’s growing mass surveillance machine. Consequently, this ruling made the Safe Harbor pact invalid virtually overnight.
The Safe Harbor Agreement 2.0
The European Union and the Unites States will be meeting on December 17th to create a new agreement for the Safe Harbor. They plan to conclude this agreement in January of 2016. The EU would like to see some changes in the new agreement such as:
- Privacy watchdogs to challenge US companies’ handling of EU data
- European citizens should be able to complain directly to national authorities about data protection
What Does an Invalid Ruling of Safe Harbor Mean?
This affects businesses and consumers from both the European Union and United States. Over 4,000 companies rely on the Safe Harbor for their data transfers, including:
Effects on Companies:
This affects any US-based company doing online business in the EU.
Many companies that relied on the Safe Harbor “Self Certification” will now have to obtain independent certification.
In Europe, EU standards from 1995 are now being used to determine whether a company’s data sharing is permissible. As of now, the EU operates under the Data Protection Directive. This requires that companies only transfer data to countries that offer adequate privacy protection.
For More Information: With Safe Harbor now “Invalid,” Companies Must Change Data Practices
Effects on Consumers:
Consumers in the US might not notice a substantial difference. European consumers may be cut off from US companies for a time, depending on how stringent the new rules become. It may take some time before US based companies have made the necessary adjustments to do business with the EU again.
Microsoft’s Solution
Microsoft has stated they will be storing data in a German company, Deutsche Telekom, for their European cloud computing customers. Microsoft will not be able to access the data without permission of either the customer or the company.
This solution may be too expensive for many companies. As a result, the US has started offering customers and partners the opportunity to enter into ‘data processing addendums’. However, these are only a temporary solution. Consequently, many companies are awaiting to hear what’s in the new Safe Harbor Rule.
Subscribe To Our E-Newsletter
Recent Articles
- The Great Phishing Scamdemic
Have you been noticing an abundance of suspicious looking emails flooding y…
- Serious Risks to Consider When Socializing Distantly
In today’s crazy world of staying home instead of visiting friends, we’ve a…
- Ten Tips on How to be Successful While Working From Home Dur
As a web developer of over 15 years, I’ve spent a lot of time working remot…
Categories
Recommended Posts
- Why Is It Important To Know Who Owns Your Representative? One Example: Glass-Steagall
- Calendar
- Facebook Password Reset Scam!
- What’s a Twitter Storm?
- Do I Need Alignable?
- Common Email Scams to Lookout For
- Advertising Online for your Business
- Why Labor Unions Need Social Media
- How the Internet Helps in a Crisis
- Cat Tech Tips: Cleaning the Computer
Upcoming Events
Social Media
-
- A great quote to live by! Happy President's Day 🇺🇸
.
.
.
#presidentsday #internet #truthish #quotes #life #inspiration #quoteoftheday #quote #follow #success #believe #inspirationalquotes #quotestagram #quotestoliveby - Happy Valentine's Day ❤️
.
.
.
#valentine #pickuplines #cupid #love #valentinesday #pickuplines101 #valentines #valentineday #valentinegift #heart - I don't know who needs to hear this, but Valentine's Day IS this Sunday. She'll remember.... 🥰💐
- How to see what Facebook knows about you, and download your data Do you know what they know?
.
.
#Facebook #Facebookpage #PrivacyAware #privacypolicy #Data #datasecurity - Tech that died in 2020 We've been busy helping clients with Flash workarounds for training software. What tech are you going to mourn in #2021?
- How to recycle your old phone, laptop, TV and batteries for free A win for those with resolutions to declutter or be nice to the environment this year. I'd never heard of Cell Phones For Soldiers before!
- We can’t thank you enough for all of your support this year. From our entire team, we want to wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year! #welcome2021goodbye2020 https://t.co/yEYCRBAK4d
-
-
- I'm not just scrolling to the bottom and hitting AGREE anymore.
.
.
.
#2021 #ReadyorNot #HereWeGo #happynewyear2021 -
-
-
-
- The year is 1997.
You: *struggling to write a letter*
Clippy: Would you like some assistance with that? -
-
- The Jetsons predicted 2020.. just waiting on the flying cars. No doubt our hero @elonmusk will make that come true too. 🚀 #jetsons #telework #onlineclasses #telemedicine #videocalls #tesla https://t.co/0T1s3MgaMx
- @GovWhitmer Why aren't #Michigan groomers allowed to open if they are offering curbside service? #Ohio and #Indiana allow it. Asking for a client (and our staff).
- The most popular pickup line for Web Developers: "Can I clear your cache?" https://t.co/pIUAEr23nX
-
- Have you considered the risks of socializing distantly? 💬🗨️⚠️ https://t.co/xzOTfGBJIc
#SocialDistancing #SocialMedia - If #IRS doesn’t have your direct deposit info, a check will be mailed to your address on file. For your #TaxSecurity, do NOT provide your direct deposit or banking information for others to input on your behalf into the IRS...
- Chinese Government Holds Back Everyone’s Internet Freedom: A strong example of the problems this world... Chinese Government Holds Back Everyone’s Internet Freedom: A strong example of the problems this world faces with cyber censorship is what is going on in China. The government blocks many websites, searches, and software based on their content.
- EU-US Privacy Shield Still Not Protecting Your Privacy: Still collecting bulk data, problems with the... EU-US Privacy Shield Still Not Protecting Your Privacy: Still collecting bulk data, problems with the judicial redress act, and no true protection for businesses
- Copyright and Social Media: This has become a gray area. Almost everyone is guilty of... Copyright and Social Media: This has become a gray area. Almost everyone is guilty of sharing something on social media, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, that was copyrighted and not yours to share. But what is fair to ...
- How Your Devices are Tracking you and How to Stop it: Apple, Microsoft, and Android How Your Devices are Tracking you and How to Stop it: Apple, Microsoft, and Android
- Being Safe while Downloading Apps: With how many apps are downloaded it is always a... Being Safe while Downloading Apps: With how many apps are downloaded it is always a good idea to stay safe while downloading. You must take precautions, learn where to download, and do your research.