European and American diplomats are reportedly negotiating a “Safe Harbor 2.0” agreement to allow for data transfers to the United States while addressing European privacy concerns, Reuters reported.
“A solution is within hand,” Penny Pritzker, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, said, according to Reuters. “We had an agreement prior to the court case. I think with modest refinements that are being negotiated we could have an agreement shortly. The solution … is Safe Harbor 2.0, which is totally doable.”
The original Safe Harbor agreement, which lasted for 15 years, allowed U.S. organization to “self-certify” their data protection systems and their meeting the EU's adequacy privacy protection test. The quick self-certification let companies transfer personal data from the EU to the U.S. for processing and storage.
Primarily following Edward Snowden's leaks, the EU began to question self-certification, eventually ruling Safe Harbor invalid earlier this month.
