DUBLIN: A new pact to facilitate the safe transfer of EU citizens’ personal data to the United States might not come into force in time to avoid a suspension of Facebook’s transatlantic data flows, the US firm’s lead European regulator said on Tuesday.
Facebook owner Meta, which has warned a stoppage could force it to suspend Facebook services in Europe, declined to comment on the possible timing of the regulator’s decision or the new pact’s entry into force.
European Union regulators led by Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) Helen Dixon are finalizing a ban on the legal tool used by Facebook to transfer European user data because of concerns US intelligence agencies could access them.
In an interview, Dixon said the ban could be in place by mid-May while a new EU-US data protection framework that would provide an alternative basis for the transfers might take longer.
“There is certainly a chance of that. More than a chance, I would say,” said Dixon, who is lead European regulator for US technology firms, including Apple, Google and Twitter, as their regional headquarters are in Ireland.
“They could be very close in timeline or the DPC’s suspension order could come into effect in advance,” Dixon told Reuters. “Things are coming down to the wire.”
The suspension could create a precedent for other firms. It must be signed off by other European regulators by April 13, and after that, Dixon said she would have another month to issue a ruling.
A spokesperson for Meta said the company “welcomes the progress policymakers have made toward ensuring the continued transfer of data across borders and awaits the regulator’s final decision on this matter.”
NEW FRAMEWORK
Officials have said the new EU-US framework, which aims to offer EU citizens the same level of data protection as under European law, may be ready by summer. “They are still talking about July,” Dixon said.
It is expected to face legal challenge from critics who believe it is too weak. Two previous US-EU pacts, Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield, were struck down by the European Union’s top court.
Dixon said she and her fellow regulators were positive about the new deal and that the European Commission was confident it would survive court challenge.
Critics, such as privacy campaigner Max Schrems have accused Dixon and her office of being under-resourced and too soft, a charge she rejected.
“We are really hitting our stride, working at pace,” said Dixon, whose office issued over 1 billion euros in fines last year — around two-thirds of the fines issues in the EU and Britain combined last year.
It is working on 22 large-scale international cases including against Google, Meta and Tik Tok, after concluding 17 cases last year, she said.
It plans to increase its staffing to around 250 this year from 200 last year and 27 when Dixon joined in 2014.
New EU-US data pact may come too late for Facebook
https://arab.news/cczj7
New EU-US data pact may come too late for Facebook
- Meta warned of a possible suspension of service if timeline not respected
- EU-US framework aims to offer EU citizens the same level of data protection as under European law
Media watchdogs condemn Israeli airstrike that killed 3 journalists in Gaza, call for investigation
- International Press Institute, Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders among organizations demanding urgent action
DUBAI: Media watchdogs including the International Press Institute, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have spoken out against Israel’s treatment of media workers following an airstrike that killed 3 journalists in Gaza on Wednesday.
Those killed were Mohammed Salah Qashta, Abdul Raouf Shaat and Anas Ghneim.
The Israeli military said the attack targeted what it had identified as “several suspects” operating a drone and “affiliated with Hamas.”
According to eyewitnesses, the journalists were using a drone to record aid distribution by the Egyptian Relief Committee when the strike hit one of the committee’s vehicles.
The IPI called for an “immediate and credible investigation” and renewed pressure on the international community to take “concrete actions” to hold Israel accountable.
IPI executive director Scott Griffen said the Israeli government has “failed to credibly investigate attacks on journalists” and that the “international community has failed to hold Israel to account for its pattern of targeting and killing journalists.”
He urged strong action, saying that “it is long past time for the international community to take concrete steps to end the cycle of complete impunity for killings of journalists in Gaza.”
The International Federation of Journalists and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate also condemned the killings and attacks on journalists, calling for an immediate investigation.
The IFJ appealed to all “combatants in this conflict to do their utmost to safeguard journalists and media professionals,” said IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger.
“Media workers in areas of armed conflict must be treated and protected as civilians and allowed to perform their work without interference,” he added.
The PJS said that the direct shelling of the journalists’ vehicle constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity under international humanitarian law, in violation of the Geneva Conventions and UN resolutions that guarantee the protection of journalists during armed conflicts.
The syndicate called on the International Criminal Court to open “urgent and serious investigations” and to “issue arrest warrants against those responsible for the killing of journalists.”
It also urged the UN and other international organizations to take action “rather than limiting their response to statements of condemnation.”
The CPJ condemned the strike, which took place amid a ceasefire, said regional director Sara Qudah.
“Israel, which possesses advanced technology capable of identifying its targets, has an obligation under international law to protect journalists,” she said.
On Thursday, CPJ and RSF called on the 29 member states of the Media Freedom Coalition, in a joint letter, to take concrete steps toward guaranteeing media access to the Gaza Strip.
The move comes ahead of the Israeli Supreme Court hearing on Jan. 26 that will determine whether the press will have independent access to Gaza.
The signatories asked governments to send official representatives to the Jan. 26 hearing and to prioritize press freedom in their engagement with the new technocratic government, formed under a US-backed plan to govern Gaza.
They also urged states to ensure that the International Stabilization Force applies UN Security Council Resolution 2222, which recognizes journalists as civilians during armed conflict and affirms their right to protection and access.
“The inaction of states around the world encourages censorship and sets a dangerous precedent for other conflicts, to the detriment of civilian populations, humanitarian aid and political decisions based on verified facts,” said RSF director general Thibaut Bruttin.
More than 200 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed since the start of the war in October 2023, according to multiple reports.
