Andrew Smith, director of the Federal Trade Commissions bureau of consumer protection, recently trumpeted the agencys efforts to uphold a data transfer pact between the European Union (EU) and U.S. government. The agency is tasked with ensuring that participating companies follow the Privacy Shield agreements data protection requirements. About 4,000 companies have self-certified their compliance within the framework. Smith said the renewal of the privacy shield framework is a top priority for the Federal Trade Commission. In late September, the FTC reached settlements with four companies that were accused of falsely claiming that they had certified under the Privacy Shield.
