And we're back with the third review of Privacy Shield: Meh, sighs the European Commission

The European Commission's (EC) third review of Privacy Shield – the legal fig leaf through which EU citizens' data can be sent to US companies for storage and processing – has found some improvements since last year, but deems the whole agreement as still resoundingly "adequate". Things looking a bit brighter this time include …

[A.P. Veening]

The US could do more, but it's like pulling teeth

To encourage the US, I recommend pulling those teeth without analgesic, meaning really damaging punitive fines (GDPR anyone?).

[Oengus]

Privacy Shield?

Things looking a bit brighter this time include the US Department of State's improved inspections of participating companies by conducting monthly checks to ensure compliance.

Why do I get the feeling that the US Department of State is white washing this. Can they really check every participating company properly every 30 days or is it more like them waving the EC past, like emergency services personnel at a fatal accident, saying something like "Move on, Move on. Nothing to see here".

[I3N]

Fantastic Picture

Beer all around ...

[ma1010]

Privacy?

This is the USA. We've heard of this "privacy," but really, that would be Crimethink.

BB says anything that gets between people and our corporate slurpers here is doubleplus ungood!

[Claverhouse]

Re: Privacy?

I really can't see why my reading a page, particularly of a newspaper, thereby releases them to track me forever more...

[Mike 137]

The linked document

It's interesting that the linked document (a press release) is hidden behind a mass of JavaScript that doesn't even seem to work - nothing but a blank page is presented. What could possibly be the justification - is the Commission snooping gathering analytics?

[Fred Flintstone]

The problem is simple: Privacy Shield is a *trade* agreement

The problem really lies on the US side (no surprise there, sorry): although the Privacy Shield agreement is mainly a tool to stop an all out trade war (or, to be precise, a mechanism by which US companies can continue to make vast profits off the private details of EU citizens), there is no actual legal match between the two entities.

US law has at federal level so many backdoors (they seem to love them over there) that privacy protection for even US citizens is but a vague and as yet unsubstantiated rumour, which is wholly at odds with the EU situation. As that gap is unlikely to be addressed (because, you know, profit), any attempt to pretend it's all fixed is just marketing and, to be frank, the same BS we were served even befoe Safe Harbor died.

[Dinanziame]

Does this really make sense?

Everybody knows that if they want to spy on that data, the US will spy on that data. Privacy shield or not. So what's the point? What does this bring us?

[Anonymous Coward]

...and in the mean time.....

.....business as usual in Cheltenham.....the STASI spying on UK citizens.

*

Move on.....nothing to see here!