Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)

On July 26, 2017, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) published Opinion 1-15 (the “Opinion”) on the proposed agreement between the European Union and Canada on the transfer and processing of passenger name record (“PNR”) data (the “Agreement”).  The Agreement was signed in 2014, but the CJEU was asked to determine whether it was compatible with EU data protection law before it is approved by the European Parliament.

The Opinion concluded that a number of provisions relating to the transfer of PNR data – particularly sensitive data – are incompatible with the EU Data Protection Directive (Directive 95/46) and the fundamental rights to privacy and data protection, and the protection against discrimination, under Articles 7, 8 and 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (the “Charter”), meaning the Agreement must be renegotiated before it enters into force.

Notably, the CJEU’s opinion was consistent with its recent judgments concerning data transfers to “third countries” (outside the EEA) in Schrems and Tele2/Watson. 
Continue Reading CJEU: EU-Canada proposed agreement on the transfer of Passenger Name Record data does not conform to EU data protection law standards

As we approach the May 2018 effective date of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), there have been a number of global developments over the last few months with respect to the so-called “right to be forgotten,” which will be codified under Article 17 of the GDPR.

European Developments

In the EU, we previously reported on a Court of Justice of the EU (“CJEU”) decision that limits the right to be forgotten with respect to public records.  And in February, A French high administrative court raised several questions to the CJEU relating to the right to be forgotten in light of the Google v. Costeja Gonzalez decision.  The questions address whether and in what circumstances search engines must delist links to websites in response to requests from data subjects, and arose in the context of a pending dispute between Google and CNIL, the French data protection authority.

A decision by a Circuit Court in Ireland recognized the right of a former election candidate to request the removal of information posted about him on Reddit under the right to be forgotten.  And the UK recently solicited views on its own implementation of the GDPR, including input regarding the interplay between the right to be forgotten and freedom of expression in the media.
Continue Reading Developments in the Right to Be Forgotten

In an interview with Politico (link requires a subscription), EU Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová, one of the principal architects of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, indicated that she plans to visit the U.S. once the Trump Administration is in place to assess the state of the new administration’s commitment to the Privacy Shield.  In the interview, Jourová indicated that she would seek to ensure that the U.S. maintains a “culture of privacy” under the new administration, and that the U.S. government would continue to adhere to its commitments with regard to U.S. law enforcement and surveillance activities that were included within the Privacy Shield framework.

The Privacy Shield was based in part on a series of letters published by various Obama Administration officials relating to oversight and enforcement of the Privacy Shield Principles by the U.S. government.  These letters were included as annexes to the Commission Implementing Decision that forms the legal basis for the Privacy Shield in the EU, and are posted to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Privacy Shield website.  They include a letter from the Department of State to Commissioner Jourová describing the new Privacy Shield Ombudsperson designated to field inquiries from the EU regarding U.S. signals intelligence practices, and letters from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Letter 1; Letter 2) and the Department of Justice describing safeguards and limitations applicable to U.S. national security authorities and law enforcement authorities, respectively.
Continue Reading EU Commissioner Plans to Assess U.S. Privacy Shield Commitments

On December 21, 2016 the Court of Justice of European Union (“CJEU”) issued its judgment in Joined Cases C-203/15 and C-698/15, Tele2 /Watson.

The decision considered the legality of UK and Swedish laws permitting the generalized retention of communications metadata (for 6-12 months) for the purposes of prevention, detection or prosecution of crime (not…

On September 16, 2016, Digital Rights Ireland (“DRI”), a digital rights advocacy group, lodged an action with the EU General Court for annulment of the European Commission’s Decision on the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield arrangement.  While the existence of the application has only recently become public knowledge, it was widely-expected that the Privacy Shield would face a legal challenge.  It is also unsurprising that DRI have brought the action (given its objections to the Privacy Shield before it was agreed and its intervention in the Safe Harbor case).

Background

The Privacy Shield was agreed earlier this year, replacing the Safe Harbor framework that was invalidated by the Court of Justice of the EU (“CJEU”) in Schrems.  The Privacy Shield provides a legal basis for transfers of personal data from the European Economic Area to Privacy Shield-certified companies in the U.S.  To date, over 600 companies have certified to the Privacy Shield.  The Privacy Shield contains a much more robust set of commitments than those underpinning the Safe Harbor and will provide stronger protections to data subjects in the EU than its predecessor.
Continue Reading Challenge to EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Lands at EU Court

On Wednesday October 19, 2016 the Court of Justice of European Union (“CJEU”) issued its judgment in Case C-582/14, Patrick Breyer v Germany. 

The CJEU held that a “dynamic” IP address constitutes personal data (agreeing with the Opinion of the Advocate General from May this year).  Dynamic IP addresses qualify as personal data, even if the website operator in question cannot identify the user behind the IP address, since the users’ internet service or access providers (“ISPs”) have data that, in combination with the IP address, can identify the users in question.

The CJEU concluded that domestic law — in this case, German law — could not adopt a more restrictive interpretation of the “legitimate interests” legal basis for processing than is set out under the EU Data Protection Directive.  In that vein, the continued processing of personal data, without the user’s consent, may be justified as falling within a legitimate interest — e.g., ensuring the continued security or functioning of those websites including to protect against cyberattacks.
Continue Reading CJEU Confirms Dynamic IP Addresses To Be Personal Data

On October 12, 2015, the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (“LIBE”) Committee held a debate to discuss the aftermath of the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) ruling in Case C-362/14 Maximillian Schrems v Data Protection Commissioner (see summary of the ruling here and summary of the Advocate-General’s Opinion here).  The debate was chaired by the LIBE Committee Chair, Claude Moraes, and started with a presentation from the European Parliament’s Legal Service.  The Legal Service provided a summary of the CJEU’s decision, and set out the following points:

  • The ruling confirms the importance of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in protecting EU citizens, and the fact that all EU laws must comply with the Charter.  In this case, the Charter rights invoked included the right of all EU citizens to privacy and the right to an effective judicial remedy.  It can be concluded from the CJEU’s ruling that the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC does comply with the Charter.
  • Both the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC provide a high level of protection to EU citizens’ personal data, whether the data are situated inside or outside the EU.  This means that a third country can only be considered to provide “adequate” protection to EU citizens’ personal data when that country itself has strong data protection laws.  The protection provided in a third country need not be identical, but must provide an “essentially equivalent” protection to that guaranteed under EU law.
  • Legislation, whether in the EU or the U.S., cannot legitimately authorize mass or generalized surveillance of EU citizens’ data.
  • The power of local data protection authorities (“DPAs”) to investigate data protection breaches cannot be restricted by the Commission.

Continue Reading Debate in the European Parliament’s LIBE Committee on the Schrems ruling

Today, the Court of Justice of the European Union (the “CJEU”) invalidated the European Commission’s Decision on the EU-U.S. Safe Harbor arrangement (Commission Decision 2000/520 – see here). The Court responded to pre-judicial questions put forward by the Irish High Court in the so-called Schrems case. More specifically, the High Court had enquired, in particular, about the powers of European data protection authorities (“DPAs”) to suspend transfers of personal data that take place under the existing Safe Harbor arrangement. The CJEU ruled both on the DPAs’ powers and the validity of the Safe Harbor, finding that national data protection authorities do have the power to investigate in these circumstances, and further, that the Commission decision finding Safe Harbor adequate is invalid.

This judgment affects all companies that rely on Safe Harbor. They now need to consider alternative data transfer mechanisms.
Continue Reading EU’s Highest Court Invalidates Safe Harbor with Immediate Effect

On October 1st, 2015, the Court of Justice of the EU rendered its judgment in the Weltimmo case (C-230/14).  The case addressed two important aspects of EU data protection law, namely applicable law and the scope of the territorial powers of data protection authorities.

The case arose out of a dispute between Weltimmo, a company registered in Slovakia, which operates property dealing websites concerning Hungarian properties, and the Hungarian data protection authority.  Several advertisers lodged a complaint with the data protection authority, which imposed a fine on Weltimmo for a violation of the Hungarian Law on Information.Continue Reading EU’s Highest Court Rules on Applicable Law and Territorial Powers of the National Data Protection Authorities