The Italian Data Protection Authority has authorized the transfer of personal data to the United States on the basis of the new “Privacy Shield” program, designed by the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Commerce to provide companies with a mechanism to comply with EU data protection requirements when transferring personal data from the European Union to the United States. On July 12, 2016 the European Commission deemed that the “Privacy Shield” offered adequate protection and could enable data transfers under EU legislation.

The Italian Data Protection Authority has now issued a general authorization for the processing and transfer of personal data in accordance with the “Privacy Shield” program and with the European Commission adequacy decision. The general authorization will be published today on the Official Gazette. Italian companies and multinational corporations active in Italy will therefore be able to transfer personal data to United States entities adhering to the “Privacy Shield”.

This latest decision comes after the expiration of the previous general authorization allowing the transfer of personal data to the United States pursuant to the “Safe Harbor” framework, held invalid by the Court of Justice of the European Union on October 22, 2015.

The European Commission plans to implement a continuous monitoring of the “Privacy Shield”, while at the moment it remains unclear how many business entities will seize this opportunity and join in the new program.