In the first session of the 2016 Cybersecurity, Privacy and Communications Webinar Series, WilmerHale Partners Dr. Martin Braun, Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Kamann and Heather Zachary discuss key elements of the current state of data protection regulation in the European Union.
The panelists provide an update on the legal framework for transatlantic transfers of personal data following the European Court of Justice's landmark decision in Schrems v. Irish Data Protection Commissioner, which invalidated the Safe Harbor program that authorized thousands of US companies to receive and process personal information from the European Union. In their initial reaction to the decision, European data protection authorities had announced increased scrutiny and enforcement actions starting February 1, 2016.
The speakers present an overview of the key topics in the final text of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which was agreed upon in December 2015. This discussion explores what companies should expect during the two-year transition period and what will happen after the GDPR takes effect in 2018. The webinar also provides practical advice on what companies can do to avoid disruptions in their data-processing activities.