The Safe Harbor Agreement between the EU and US was established to safeguard the privacy of EU citizens’ personal data that is transferred to the US.

The agreement was created in 2000 and was based on seven principles that US companies had to adhere to when handling EU citizens’ data. These principles included notice, choice, onward transfer, security, data integrity, access, and enforcement. Adhering to these principles meant that companies were able to transfer data across borders in a way that was deemed safe and compliant by EU regulators.

However, in 2015, the Safe Harbor Agreement was deemed invalid by the European Court of Justice. This ruling came as a response to concerns that the agreement did not provide adequate protections against US government surveillance. The Edward Snowden revelations had exposed the extent to which the US government was conducting mass surveillance activities, which raised serious questions about the adequacy of the Safe Harbor Agreement.

In response to this ruling, a new agreement was reached between the EU and US called the EU-US Privacy Shield. This new agreement aimed to address the concerns raised by the European Court of Justice by providing stronger protections for EU citizens’ personal data.

The Privacy Shield agreement is based on similar principles to the Safe Harbor Agreement, but with additional protections and requirements. For example, companies that sign up to the Privacy Shield must comply with stricter data protection requirements, including an obligation to respond promptly and effectively to complaints by EU citizens.

Despite the introduction of the Privacy Shield, concerns remain about the ability of the US government to access EU citizens’ personal data. This has led to calls for further reforms to ensure that the privacy of EU citizens’ data is adequately protected.

In conclusion, the Safe Harbor Agreement between the EU and US was an important step in establishing a framework for the secure transfer of personal data across borders. However, it was deemed invalid due to concerns about US government surveillance. The new EU-US Privacy Shield agreement provides stronger protections for EU citizens’ personal data, but further reforms may be necessary to ensure that privacy is adequately protected in an increasingly digital world.