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The European Union intends to tighten restrictions on the transfer of data to governments outside the European Union

The European Union intends to tighten restrictions on the transfer of data to governments outside the European Union

In February, the European Commission will publish the Data Law, which will require providers of cloud services (such as Amazon or Microsoft) and data processing services to put in place safeguards against illegal transfer of data to governments outside the European Union.


The European Union intends to tighten restrictions on the transfer of data to governments outside the European Union
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The new rules set out laws and obligations for using EU data such as smart machines and consumer goods, according to Reuters, which discovered the proposed legislation, and is part of a series of laws designed to stop US tech giants. and helping the European Union achieve its green and digital economic goals.

European Union concerns about data transfer have been growing since former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden disclosed in 2013 information about mass surveillance by the United States. The European Supreme Court in 2020 (named Schrems II) annulled the transatlantic data transfer agreement, known as the Privacy Shield between the European Union and the United States, on which thousands of companies rely on services ranging from cloud infrastructure to payroll and finance over similar matters. Fears.

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The United States and the European Union have attempted to craft a new agreement in the two years since. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said she was confident there would be a new agreement that would take into account the concerns of the EU court. “The Biden administration sees the completion of the Enhanced Privacy Shield as its first priority,” Raimonfo said at DIGITAL EUROPE.

The data law goes beyond current restrictions on transfer of personal data beyond the 27-country block by extending these restrictions to non-personal data.

“There have been concerns about illegal access by governments outside the EU/EEA. Such safeguards should increase confidence in data processing services, which are increasingly becoming the backbone of the European data economy,” states the EU paper, As Reuters wrote. Furthermore, data processing service providers will have to “take all reasonable technical, legal and regulatory measures to prevent such access which would conflict with competing obligations to protect such data under EU law, unless strict conditions are met.”

The Data Act aims to develop standards for interoperability of data used across sectors in relation to concerns about barriers to data exchange within and between industries.

It also aims to facilitate the switch between cloud and advanced services for organizations by defining minimum regulatory, commercial, and technical contractual requirements for providers of cloud, advanced, and other data processing services to enable the switch between these services.

The Commission has set an initial date for the release of the data law on February 23.

Source: Reuters

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