A new commercial data pact between the European Union and the United States entered into force on Tuesday, ending months of uncertainty over cross-border data flows, and companies such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft can sign up from Aug. 1, according to Reuters. The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield will give businesses moving personal data across the Atlantic - from human resources information to people's browsing histories to hotel bookings - an easy way to do so without falling foul of tough EU data transferral rules. The previous such framework, Safe Harbour, was struck down by the EU's top court in October on the grounds that it allowed U.S. agents too much access to Europeans' data. In the months that followed the EU ruling companies have had to rely on other more cumbersome mechanisms for legally transferring data to the United States. The Privacy Shield will underpin over $250 billion dollars of transatlantic trade in digital services annually. Google said it would make sure its services and products meet the Privacy Shield's requirements and would cooperate with EU data protection authorities in case of inquiries. On Monday Microsoft said it had started the process of implementing the requirements of the Privacy Shield -- which includes stricter rules on how companies may use data -- and would sign up to it as soon as possible.
