Max Schrems, an Austrian law student, successfully fought against the EU’s previous privacy rules called Safe Harbour in 2015, challenging Facebook’s use of standard clauses on the grounds that they do not offer sufficient data protection safeguards.

His seven-year battle will shortly come to an end by 19 December when an adviser to Europe’s top court will issue his view on whether tools used by companies to transfer data abroad are legal or not.

Senior associate, Jamie Drucker comments, in Reuters, that the case has implications for companies because the transfer measures are essential in ensuring the free flow of data to non-EU countries.

‘If the Court invalidates the measures, “this would mean they (companies) would either need to suspend transfers of personal data to these countries or risk breaching the GDPR and exposing themselves to significant revenue based fines.”‘

Read the full article Facebook, privacy activist Schrems battle nears end on Dec. 19 on Reuters website.