EU-U.S. Safe Harbor Agreement

The EU-U.S. Safe Harbor Agreement was a framework that allowed U.S. companies to legally transfer personal data from the European Union, where strict privacy rules apply. It required U.S. companies to meet EU standards for data protection and privacy. This arrangement aimed to ensure that Europeans' personal information was protected when shared with U.S. businesses. However, it was invalidated in 2015 by the European Court of Justice due to concerns over U.S. surveillance practices. Currently, data transfers between the EU and U.S. are governed by other legal mechanisms like the Privacy Shield framework (which was also invalidated) or Standard Contractual Clauses, emphasizing the importance of protecting personal data across borders.