High EU Court Ruling Invalidates 'Safe Harbor,' But Next Steps Unclear

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Tuesday (Oct. 6) delivered a fatal blow to the Safe Harbor framework that allows companies in the EU to transfer personal data to the U.S., ruling that the framework is invalid and that EU member state data protection authorities – known as DPAs – can investigate complaints brought before them. The ruling puts the legal status of data transfers occurring under Safe Harbor into a gray area. Lawyers from the international law firm...