Less than three weeks after the European Commission (EC) approved the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, the U.S. Department of Commerce opened registration to U.S. companies.
The Commerce Department will verify that those companies that sign up are in compliance with the Privacy Shield's data protection standards. The EC also provided a guide aimed at citizens that explains their rights under the pact and how to remediate if they feel their rights have been violated.
"The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield protects the fundamental rights of Europeans and ensures legal certainty for businesses, including European companies, transferring personal data to the U.S. The Privacy Shield ensures easier redress for individuals in case of any complaints,” Věra Jourová, the EU's Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, said in a release. “I am therefore confident that the Privacy Shield will restore the trust of Europeans in the way their personal data are transferred across the Atlantic and processed by companies there. I encourage companies to sign up and I invite citizens to find out about their rights under the Privacy Shield in the 'citizens' guide' we are publishing today."
