European court rules in favor of the latest US and EU data transfer framework

The European Union's General Court has dismissed a challenge against a data transfer pact between the EU and the United States. The Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework, brokered in 2023, allows US companies to store European users' personal data on Stateside servers, with a provision for Europeans to file complaints over how their data is used. The court ruled that the Data Protection Review Court, the body set up to handle complaints from Europeans, is sufficiently independent and offers the level of protection required under European law. While the court acknowledged the political landscape has shifted since the agreement was reached, it stated that the European Commission is required to monitor the application of the legal framework and take action if necessary. The court also dismissed claims regarding the bulk collection of personal data. The case can still be appealed to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which has previously scrapped two previous data transfer deals between the EU and US due to concerns about American intelligence agencies accessing European citizens' private data.