Washington – European citizens are a step closer to additional privacy protections after the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Judicial Redress Act Tuesday night. The measure would give citizens of some allied countries the right to review and correct inaccurate information about them held by federal agencies. The House has already passed the bill, but will need to reconcile it with the Senate bill before it gets sent to President Obama.
Final passage of the Judicial Redress Act will clear the way for the final adoption of the Data Privacy and Protection Agreement for law enforcement-related data transfers between the U.S. and Europe.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has been advocating passage of the Judicial Redress Act through letters and editorials for more than a year. The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Ed Black:
“Unanimous Senate passage of the Judicial Redress Act should send a strong message that the U.S. is taking steps to improve privacy protections. Adding these safeguards will help rebuild Europeans’ trust with the U.S. post-Snowden — and it was the right thing to do.”
“We thank Senators and their staff for taking the time to understand the details of this amendment to the U.S. Privacy Act and why it was needed to restore communication and trust with our European allies.”