The Future of Transatlantic Data Transfer Following the Invalidation of the Safe Harbour Agreement

I wrote this essay for an assignment in the Professional Skills & Issues course at the University of Glasgow. The aim of this course is to explore the social, ethical, legal, and professional issues involved in the widespread deployment of information technology. Throughout the course, I was stimulated to develop my own, well-argued positions on many of these issues.

This essay delves into my informed opinion on what implications may arise following the invalidation of Safe Harbour agreements in 2015. Safe Harbour agreements previously permitted personal data of European-Union origin to be transferred to the United States of America. First, I explore why Safe Harbour was invalidated and the data privacy issues that arose as a result. Then, I gradually lay out an argument for what the future of transatlantic data transfer may look like, and what components are required for an updated replacement solution that helps society move a step closer towards the underlying goal of data privacy.

Here is the essay prompt I received for the assignment:

• The European Court of Justice ruled in 2015 that Safe Harbour agreements are invalid. These agreements previously permitted EU companies to share personal data with participating US companies. Why did the Court make this ruling, and what are its implications?