U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Welcomes Release of the European Commission's Report of the 2019 EU-US Privacy Shield Framework

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, October 24, 2019
Contact: Office of Public Affairs (202) 482-3809

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross welcomed the release of the European Commission’s report on the Third Annual Review of the Functioning of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework. The report confirms that the U.S. continues to ensure an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred under the Privacy Shield from the EU to participating companies in the U.S.

“I am very proud of our work together to support Privacy Shield’s robust protections for personal information, enabling the cross-border data flows that are increasingly crucial to our economies – and to our democracies,” said Secretary Ross. “Privacy Shield is a success, and the U.S. Department of Commerce looks forward to continuing to work cooperatively and jointly with our European colleagues to strengthen the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework.”

Several U.S. and EU stakeholders have contributed to Privacy Shield’s success, underscoring the shared and longstanding commitment of the United States and the European Union to the Framework. The European Commission’s report acknowledges the extensive work undertaken by key U.S. officials at the Department of Commerce, Federal Trade Commission, State Department, and others as well as by European Union and EU Member State authorities.

Since the Framework’s implementation on August 1, 2016, more than 5,000 companies have made public and legally enforceable pledges to protect data transferred from the EU in accordance with the Privacy Shield principles. The rapid and continued growth of the program demonstrates Privacy Shield’s vital role in protecting personal data and contributing to the $7.1 trillion economic relationship between the United States and Europe.

To learn more about the Privacy Shield program or to view the list of participating U.S. organizations, please visit www.privacyshield.gov