Ross, Jourová Launch Privacy Shield Review in 'Good and Honest' Meeting; Report in October

European Justice Commissioner Vera Jourová "stressed the importance of a robust and trustworthy annual review [of the Privacy Shield], given the concerns of European stakeholders" to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, said a European Commission spokesman in a statement Monday. Acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen and representatives of European data protection in Washington also attended the launch of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield review was also attended. The EC spokesman said Jourová emphasized the review should show how U.S. commitments are being met, that the underlying U.S. legal framework remains in place and oversight mechanisms, namely the State Department ombudsperson, are functional. Experts said the review may find faults within the framework, but expect the agreement to be maintained (see 1708210043). Jourová and Ross plan to meet Wednesday to discuss how the review went and areas to address or if more information is needed to complete it, the EC spokesman said. Jourová, he said, plans to issue a report in the second half of October. In a statement, Jourová said the meeting with Ross was "good and honest ... I am glad to be reassured that America First doesn't mean America only." Commerce didn't comment and the White House said last week the U.S.'s commitment "cannot be stronger." The Computer & Communications Industry Association and U.S. Council for International Business joined others (see 1709150024) supporting the agreement and review. USCIB said the framework is promoting stronger protections of people's personal data and is an effective mechanism for certification by small- and medium-sized businesses. It said longevity of the agreement is important. Nearly 2,500 businesses are certified under the agreement, according to the Privacy Shield website.