WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who introduced the bipartisan Judicial Redress Act with U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) earlier this year, released the following statement after the European Court of Justice ruled to strike down the “Safe Harbor” agreement between the United States and the European Union due to the lack of privacy protections. The Judicial Redress Act would extend some of the core benefits enjoyed by Americans under the Privacy Act of 1974 to European allies and provide a clear signal that we value the transatlantic relationship and seek to fully rebuild trust in U.S.-EU data flows.

“Unless Congress and the U.S. Department of Commerce act quickly, this week’s Safe Harbor ruling will be a job killer for U.S. technology companies that conduct business abroad. Our national security is also under threat, as the elimination of transatlantic information sharing agreements could ultimately threaten the law enforcement cooperation that helps keep Americans safe,” said Murphy. “In support of the critical, collaborative relationship that the U.S. has with the E.U., it is more important than ever that Congress pass the Judicial Redress Act into law so that we can begin to put back together these U.S.-E.U. data sharing protocols. Providing limited reciprocal privacy protections to our closest allies in order to facilitate critical information sharing and commerce is in America’s best interest.”

Murphy continued, “I strongly urge leaders in the House and Senate to quickly bring the Judicial Redress Act to the floor. It is a necessary step to cement the vital international relationships we rely on every day to keep us safe and promote our mutual prosperity.”