The White House on Tuesday said it fears “economic consequences” after a top European court struck down a 15-year-old data sharing agreement between the U.S. and Europe.
Obama administration officials said the decision, handed down by the European Court of Justice on Tuesday, is based on faulty information about personal privacy protections in the U.S. The court said it fears Europeans’ personal information could be improperly accessed by American intelligence agencies.
“We have a variety of concerns,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters. “While we’re reviewing that ruling, we’re disappointed the court has struck down an agreement that since 2000 has proved to be critical in both protecting privacy and fostering economic growth in the United States and the European Union.”
The Court of Justice said that European regulators now can disregard the so-called “Safe Harbor” agreement between the U.S. and the EU. The court argues that the agreement violates Europeans’ privacy because their personal information may exposed to U.S. government surveillance.
Top international companies, such as Apple, use the agreement, which allows customers’ personal information to be transferred between the two continents.
It’s unclear how the ruling will affect trans-Atlantic commerce, but Mr. Earnest said the administration is concerned.
“There is concern about the economic consequences of this particular ruling,” he said.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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