US-EU Privacy Shield

The US-EU Privacy Shield was a formal agreement that aimed to protect the personal data of European citizens when it was transferred to the United States for business purposes. It established standards for data privacy and allowed companies to self-certify their compliance, ensuring reasonable safeguards were in place. The goal was to maintain individual privacy rights while enabling transatlantic data flow. However, the European Court of Justice invalidated it in 2020, citing concerns over US surveillance practices and insufficient protections, leading to the adoption of alternative data transfer mechanisms like Standard Contractual Clauses.