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EU, US poised to finish data sharing deal

by Elise Viebeck - 05/09/15 10:59 AM ET

The United States and the European Union (EU) are poised to complete a deal to protect personal data exchanged for law enforcement investigations and other purposes, sources told Reuters.

The so-called “umbrella agreement” has been in progress since 2011, with EU citizens’ inability to challenge the misuse of their data in U.S. courts remaining a major sticking point.

The two sides appear to be moving past that part of the debate with the introduction of the Judicial Redress Act by Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and John Conyers (D-Mich.) on March 18.

{mosads}“The fight against terror spans the globe. Coordinating our efforts with friendly nations is vital to our national security and the security of our European allies,” Sensenbrenner said in a statement.

“Extending certain rights to their citizens will also help foster a trusting and mutually beneficial relationship for American and European businesses In short, this legislation will bolster our intelligence gathering capabilities and protect civil liberties at home and abroad.”

One person familiar with the state of the negotiations said the “finishing line is in sight,” though a final deal would still require the passage of the Sensenbrenner bill.

The legislation would allow citizens of major U.S. allies to ensure information shared with U.S. law enforcement is correct and “seek judicial recourse when it is not,” a letter from major tech companies stated last month.

Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Facebook and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce support the measure.

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