Brussels, Belgium - Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez has issued the following statement regarding today’s release of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework in Brussels.

“The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework supports the growing digital economy on both sides of the Atlantic, while ensuring the protection of consumers’ personal information.  In providing an important legal mechanism for transatlantic data transfers, it benefits both consumers and business in the global economy.

Strong law enforcement and increased cooperation will be critical to the new framework’s success, and the FTC will play a significant role in enforcing commercial privacy promises under the framework.

As I affirmed in my letter to EU Commissioner Vĕra Jourová, the FTC will make enforcement of the new framework a high priority, and we will work closely with our European counterparts to provide robust privacy and data security protections for consumers in the United States and Europe.

I would like to acknowledge and thank U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Commissioner Jourová for their efforts in establishing the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, as well as the Department of Commerce, European Commission, and FTC staff who have worked tirelessly to finalize this important arrangement.”

The FTC has civil law enforcement authority to promote consumer protection and competition across the U.S. economy.  As part of its consumer protection mandate and mission, the FTC enforces a wide range of laws to protect the privacy and security of consumers’ personal information.