🛡️ The Privacy Shield Framework was a data protection agreement between the European Union (EU) and the United States, designed to facilitate the legal transfer of personal data across the Atlantic for commercial purposes.

🌍 What It Was

• Launched in July 2016 to replace the invalidated Safe Harbor agreement
• Allowed U.S. companies to self-certify compliance with EU privacy standards
• Aimed to protect EU citizens’ personal data when transferred to the U.S.

🔐 Key Features

• Required companies to provide clear privacy notices
• Gave individuals the right to access and correct their data
• Included recourse mechanisms for complaints and disputes
• Established an Ombudsperson to handle national security concerns

⚖️ Legal Challenges

• In July 2020, the European Court of Justice struck down Privacy Shield in the Schrems II case
• The court cited concerns over U.S. surveillance laws and lack of adequate legal remedies for EU citizens

🔄 What Came Next

Privacy Shield was replaced by the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF) in 2023, which aims to address the shortcomings identified by the court.

Privacy Shield was a bridge—now retired—that tried to balance transatlantic commerce with privacy rights.