[pjc50]

EU law requires certain protections for data classed as "personal data" and "sensitive personal data". It especially requires that "Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data".

There was an agreement, "safe harbour", with the US, but Trump has issued an EO that contradicts it: https://www.lawfareblog.com/us-eu-privacy-shield-maybe-yes-m...

If that agreement is terminated, then it's no longer legal to transfer personal data from the EU to the US. This affects rather a lot of companies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Act_1998#Defin...

[tremon]

To add to that: Safe Harbor had already been ruled inadequate in 2015 by the European Court of Justice, in light of the Snowden revelations. A new agreement (Privacy Shield) had been drafted and signed in 2016, even though it was considered equally inadequate by everyone except the European Commission.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_Shield