Facebook threatens to block data transfers
Facebook’s data exchange between the EU and the US could be blocked. (Photo: Ink Drop / Shutterstock)
Facebook failed in court to defend itself against an investigation into its data transfers. Now there is a threat of a blockade for the exchange of user data between the EU and the USA.
Facebook could not defend itself against an investigation of its data transfers between the EU and the US. The Supreme Court in Ireland has denied Facebook’s motion to stop the investigation, reports Reuters.
The Irish data protection authority sent Facebook a provisional order in August last year to suspend the transfer of data from the EU to the US. Facebook appealed.
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Irish court takes action against Facebook
The background to this is that the European Court of Justice overturned the Safe Harbor successor Privacy Shield in July because the security of European data against access by US authorities is not guaranteed. Since then, the legal basis for the exchange of data between the EU and the US has been unclear.
Facebook had argued that the European authorities acted too quickly after the decision and did not give the company adequate time to react. The Irish Supreme Court saw it differently and now invalidated Facebook’s objection.
Facebook’s business model under threat
This means that nothing stands in the way of checking Facebook’s data transfers. It would be the first legal consequence of the tilted Privacy Shield.
Facebook had warned that the decision could have far-reaching consequences for its business model, its users and other companies. The group could be forced to save the user data separately and prevent any exchange.
