Press Release: Opinion of the Advocate General in the case ECJ C-362/14 Maximillian Schrems v Data Protection Commissioner

In an Opinion issued on the 23 September 2015, Advocate General Yves Bot, said that the European Commission decision finding that the protection of personal data in the United States was adequate did not prevent national authorities from suspending the transfer of the data of European Facebook subscribers to servers located in the United States. The Advocate General considered furthermore that the Commission decision was invalid.

The final judgment from the judges of the European Court of Justice would follow in a few months.

The US Mission to the EU responded in a statement on the 28 September 2015 saying that 'the Advocate General's opinion rests on numerous inaccurate assertions about intelligence practices of the United States'.

Blog: EU Law Analysis, 23.09.15: American Mass Surveillance of EU citizens: Is the End Nigh? http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/american-mass-surveillance-of-eu.html

ESO: Background information: Facebook faces court battle over privacy http://www.europeansources.info/record/facebook-faces-court-battle-over-privacy/

ESO: Background information: Do Facebook and the USA violate EU data protection law? The CJEU hearing in Schrems http://www.europeansources.info/record/do-facebook-and-the-usa-violate-eu-data-protection-law-the-cjeu-hearing-in-schrems/

BBC News, 23.09.15: Facebook privacy campaign advances after EU court opinion http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34336111

Deutsche Welle, 23.09.15: Data sharing deal between EU and US 'invalid,' ECJ advisor says http://dw.com/p/1Gbvd

The Local.at, 23.09.15: Small victory for Austrian Facebook plaintiff http://www.thelocal.at/20150923/small-victory-for-austrian-facebook-plaintiff

EurActiv, 23.09.15: EU judge brands Safe Harbour data sharing with US illegal http://www.euractiv.com/sections/infosociety/eu-judge-strikes-down-safe-harbour-data-sharing-us-317891

EUObserver, 23.09.15: EU-US data sharing at risk https://euobserver.com/justice/130397

Website: Europe v Facebook http://europe-v-facebook.org/EN/en.html

Wikipedia: Max Schrems https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Schrems

The Guardian, 23.09.15: Facebook case may force European firms to change data storage practices http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/23/us-intelligence-services-surveillance-privacy

Blog: Center for Democracy & Technology, 24.09.15: CJEU General Advocate Opinion in Schrems Case A Wake-Up Call https://cdt.org/blog/cjeu-general-advocate-opinion-in-schrems-case-a-wake-up-call/

European Commission: DG Justice: Data protection: Article 29 Documentation: Other: How will the 'safe harbor' arrangement for personal data transfers to the US work? http://ec.europa.eu/justice/policies/privacy/thridcountries/adequacy-faq1_en.htm

EurActiv, 29.09.15: US slams ECJ advisor's Safe Harbour opinion http://www.euractiv.com/sections/infosociety/us-slams-ecj-advisors-safe-harbour-opinion-318042

US: Department of State: US Mission to the European Union: Political, Security & Global Issues: Data Privacy and Protection: Safe Harbor Protects Privacy and Provides Trust in Data Flows that Underpin, 28.09.15 http://useu.usmission.gov/st-09282015.html

EUObserver, 29.09.15: US embassy defends 'invalid' EU data pact https://euobserver.com/justice/130465

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