Tech

Europe and the US try to find common ground on data privacy

The European Commission is pushing ahead with a shared data privacy framework with the US despite widespread differences. Can it work

EU countries are pushing ahead towards America’s voracious appetite for data. Picture: Getty

Little reported outside the legal press – thus far, at any rate – in December 2022 the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, decided to ease data flows between the 27-member bloc and the United States. And yet, despite the apparent thawing in relations, a lengthy political and legal battle is likely to follow.

At the heart of the matter is a real cultural difference between Europe and the US. Long a point of contention ...