EU data privacy laws are likely to create barriers to trade

[Commentary] We in the US are deeply concerned about the way the European Union’s new privacy guidelines, which came into effect last week, will force big changes in the way US and European companies do business. Donald Trump’s administration supports the new General Data Protection Regulation’s goal of protecting personal online data while continuing to enable transatlantic data exchange. We are also committed to working with the EU to implement the new guidelines. We believe that data-sharing rules must respect privacy and protect our shared interests of maintaining public safety and the easy functioning of the internet, while also taking into account the regulatory, scientific, and commercial needs of all our countries. As currently envisioned, GDPR’s implementation could significantly interrupt transatlantic co-operation and create unnecessary barriers to trade, not only for the US, but for everyone outside the EU.

We must find a way to implement GDPR without creating undue barriers. Privacy is an important and timely issue, but it also is a complex one. The guidance on GDPR implementation is too vague. EU authorities must provide clearer rules and a more predictable regulatory environment to support investment and innovation. We ask them to act quickly so that GDPR can be properly implemented.