US proposes privacy ombudsman in Safe Harbor negotiations

In the negotiations on a new Safe Harbor arrangement, the US government is said to have proposed appointing an ombudsman. It would handle complaints from EU citizens about the collection of data by the US, sources report to Reuters.

This would be the first time the United States has made a proposal directly related to the new Safe Harbor arrangement, sources told Reuters. Until now, the US negotiators would only oppose restrictions on the transfer of data between the EU and the US. However, European negotiators are trying to ensure that personal data can only be viewed by the US government when it comes to national security.

It is not known exactly how the function of the proposed ombudsman will be structured. According to one of the sources, it would become part of the United States Department of State. Furthermore, European negotiators first want to know what powers and tasks the ombudsman will have before they agree to the proposal.

Earlier this week, a law was delayed that would give the same privacy rights as Americans to EU citizens, further straining the negotiations. Current reporting appears to be trying to hold back the approaching deadline for a new Safe Harbor arrangement.