BBB National Programs’ Statement on EU-U.S. Agreement in Principle on New Framework for Transatlantic Data Flows

703.247.9330 / press@bbbnp.org

McLean, VA – March 25, 2022 – Dona Fraser, BBB National Programs’ Senior Vice President, Privacy Initiatives, applauded the agreement in principle to enhance the Privacy Shield Framework resulting from negotiations between the United States and European Commission. Fraser issued the following statement: 

“At BBB National Programs, we applaud the work of negotiators at the U.S. Department of Commerce and their counterparts in the European Commission for meeting the urgent need to enhance the Privacy Shield Framework as a core mechanism of transatlantic transfers of personal data. This action supports the more than 5,000 Privacy Shield businesses that recognize the value of accountability and rely on the Privacy Shield Framework for the transfer of personal data from the EU to the U.S. 

BBB National Programs has continued to operate BBB EU Privacy Shield, our first-class independent recourse mechanism, assisting our participating businesses in meeting their obligations while continuing to provide independent and free redress for EU data subjects with privacy complaints. At the same time, we have been proactively working on supplementing our Privacy Shield program with new enhanced services to meet the needs of this new agreement. 

We are well-positioned and ready to ensure that businesses that have opted to remain self-certified to Privacy Shield – demonstrating their dedication to compliance, business continuity, and consumer recourse – will experience a smooth transition to an enhanced Privacy Shield. In addition, we welcome those businesses who have chosen to pause their Privacy Shield self-certification back into the BBB National Programs’ BBB EU Privacy Shield program.”  

Read remarks from President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen here. Read the statement from the European Commission here. Learn more about the BBB National Programs Global Privacy Division here. 

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About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs is where businesses turn to enhance consumer trust and consumers are heard. The non-profit organization creates a fairer playing field for businesses and a better experience for consumers through the development and delivery of effective third-party accountability and dispute resolution programs. Embracing its role as an independent organization since the restructuring of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in June 2019, BBB National Programs today oversees more than a dozen leading national industry self-regulation programs, and continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-directed marketing, and privacy. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the Global Privacy Division: The BBB National Programs Global Privacy Division helps businesses show their partners and customers that they put privacy first, no matter where they operate. Our programs serve as key elements of the Cross-Border Privacy Rules and Privacy Shield frameworks, bridging gaps between divergent privacy and data protection regimes. By embracing our independent accountability mechanisms, participating businesses strengthen standards for data privacy and enhance consumer trust in the digital marketplace.