This article focuses on the draft adequacy decision that the EU
has made to foster smoother trans-Atlantic data flows. It discusses
what an adequacy decision is, the significance of this, the
practicalities and process to follow, and concludes by assessing
the possible impact that this will have on data flows between the
UK and US.
The end of 2022 saw no let-up in data protection developments.
On 13 December, the European Commission issued a draft adequacy
decision in respect of the new EU-US Data Privacy Framework (US
DPF). The US DPF establishes a legal framework under which personal
data can be transferred from the EU to the US. If the decision is
adopted, this will foster smoother trans-Atlantic data flows and
enable personal data to be transferred from the EU to US
organisations which are certified under the US DPF.