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Switzerland Agrees To Its Own New Data Sharing Pact With the US (silicon.co.uk)

Posted by BeauHD on from the point-A-to-point-B dept.

Mickeycaskill quotes a report from Silicon.co.uk: Switzerland has agreed its own new data transfer agreement with the United States, basing the framework on the deal struck by the European Union (EU) following the invalidation of Safe Harbour. The previous arrangement was invalidated because of concerns about U.S. mass surveillance but Switzerland says the new Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield will allow Swiss companies to transfer customer data without the need for additional contractual guarantees. The Swiss Federal Council, a seven member executive council that is effectively the head of government in Switzerland, claim citizens will benefit from additional protections and the ability to contact an ombudsman about data issues. Although not part of the EU, Switzerland is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and has several bilateral agreements with the EU that sees it adopt many of the bigger bloc's policies. The Federal Council says the alignment between the EU and the Swiss transatlantic data sharing partnerships is good news for multinational organizations.

15 comments

  1. Switzerland is not in the European Economic Area by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    You got that wrong. I made that mistake once before when I shipped something from the UK an a customer had to pay tax on the goods. It's actually easier to ship from the US at that point so now we do. See wikipedia for who is and isn't part of the European Economic Area: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Economic_Area

  2. At long last by Patent+Lover · · Score: 1

    Woohoo! Finally we're going to be privy to all those chocolate, cuckoo clock, watch, and army knife secrets!

  3. What a waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What do any of these data sharing agreements accomplish? If the US decides it needs data on someone they will have no trouble collecting it without anyone even noticing. What are the chances Russia or China or anyone else for that matter would ever stop their own data collection efforts? The next thing you know someone will get the UN to bless these landmark data sharing agreements which will basically guarantee that countries will pay a bit of attention to any of this nonsense. We should move the UN next door to the EU to compound in Brussels so we only have to bomb one location when they really do something stupid or just get more annoying.

    1. Re:What a waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We should move the UN next door to the EU to compound in Brussels

      You can have Brussels and move&rename it to Brussels, USA as far most Europeans are concerned...

      On a more serious note: currently the dividing powers in Europe are great. Populism is flourishing. European politics is balancing between too little power vs too much control. Countries are balancing between sovereignty vs collaboration. International relationships are in an paradoxical balance of territorial conflict vs free & global trade.

      There is no such thing as a united Europe. The power by Brussels is very limited. Merkel, germany's president, has become de-facto spokeswoman for entire Europe.

      Once every so often, Europe comes with lawmaking guidelines for their member. Meanwhile, the rest of the world marches on and do as they see fit anyways. On that part you were spot on.

  4. Neutrality is like Virginity, Switzerland. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One prick and its gone. There are strong historic reasons for Swiss neutrality which has kept them out of wars and treaties which would have stripped Swiss citizens of their rights and made them subject to foreign tribunals and powers. This new "treaty" is great news for Multinationals, but it is bad news for the Swiss citizens. A "data ombudsman" won't help. Bet on a lengthy drawn out complaint handling process which makes findings long after the horse has bolted with no power to levy fines. Multinationals laugh off fines anyway, and citizens wont even know when their data is abused. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_neutrality_(international_relations)

  5. Data Sharing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    How does this affect stuff like Protonmail? The Swiss now share tax information on US clients, does this cover data too?

    1. Re:Data Sharing? by bsolar · · Score: 1

      It has nothing to do with that: all this does is allow companies to outsource sensitive data to certified US-based infrastructures. Before if you had e.g. an application handling sensitive data you could not legally outsource its data storage to an US server, but after this you can as long as it's certified.

      It changes nothing for Protonmail since I doubt they are interesting this kind of outsourcing as it would defeat their whole purpose.

  6. welp there goes protonmail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Well there is no doubt the powers to be at the IMF/USA corps are gunnimg it for protonmail and it's users. First europe now america. Next is austrailia and the pact against them is complete.

  7. Are you Russian? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nah, America doesn't get access, Joe Sixpack won't get Swiss data. Trump executive branch does. Which means Putin gets access too.

    See the intelligence leak, Putin was grooming Michael Flynn in August, THREE MONTHS before Trump appointed him. How would Putin know Trump would pick this nobody general if Putin wasn't coordinating with Trump?

  8. Protonmail? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I wonder what this means for them.

  9. Re:Switzerland is not in the European Economic Are by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The are not in customs union with EU and not in EEA but are integrated with them by bilateral agreements, which allow them to stay "special" in some ways (Customs union, special labor market provisions, mobile phone roaming etc.), while remain in others (Schengen, labor market...).

  10. But the Pirate {Party!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pirate Party: Swash-buckled? Sunk? All washed up!?

    1. Re: But the Pirate {Party!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have been involved with the Swiss Pirate Party: they are badly organized, they don't try to reach out to voters and each and every "social event" they ever held ended up with everyone busy with their laptops ignoring potential voters or future members. Most of them have either jumped ship or played down their activity within the party, either because they lost interest or because they largely feel it's a lost battle already. Obama pretty much delivered the death blow to any dream of a free internet and now the EU wants special laws enacted. The general consensus is that it's a long done deal and resistance is futile. Public opposition in the current (and possibly permanent) political climate is viewed as dangerous.

    2. Re:But the Pirate {Party!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Everything that doesn't agree with the politics of the parties that are in power at this moment (and for the last decades) is considered extreme right, racist, populist and dangerous. There is no room for new parties according the the current leaders. New laws and regulations will help them together with new kinds of political correctness, like labeling everything that supports an opposing view as fake news followed by a boycott by advertisers and business that are on the 'good' side. The pirate party is of course always on the bad side, when you know they are against even stricter copyright laws that or meant to protect the income of the poor media people.

  11. Re:Switzerland is not in the European Economic Are by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That doesn't make them an EEA member, though, which like the EU is very much a club where you have to sign contracts and satisfy criteria to become a member.