Photo of Dr. Johanna Hofmann

Johanna Hofmann advises German and international companies and groupt of companies on all questions of data protection and IT security law. The focus of her work is on the data protection-compliant structuring of existing and future business relationships, both on a national and international level. Her field of interest lays in particular in the field of cloud computing, data protection certification and data security management. Through long-term secondments at a German group of companies and at the German subsidiary of a US-American technology group, Johanna has gained deep insights into different kinds of group-wide data protection organizations.

Before joining Greenberg Traurig Johanna worked with CMS Hasche Sigle in Munich for over two years. Prior to this, for several years she was a member of the project group for constitutionally compatible technology design and was in charge of an interdisciplinary research project on the dynamic data protection and IT security certification of cloud computing services.

We have a deal! After several months of negotiations, on 24 December 2020, the EU and the UK announced that they have finally agreed on an agreement regulating trade and cooperation between the UK and the remaining 27 member states after 31 December 2020 (Trade Agreement). From a data protection perspective, this is welcome news

On 12 November 2020 the Commission of the European Union (EU) published two draft implementing decisions – one containing a draft new set of standard contractual clauses for transfers of personal data from the EU to third countries (the Cross-Border SCCs), and one containing a draft of new standard contractual clauses for certain clauses in

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)’s historic decision in Schrems II, in which the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield was invalidated, requires businesses to rethink the mechanism they can rely on to transfer personal data from the EU to the United States and other countries. After several EU data protection authorities (DPAs) published their reactions, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), an association comprising, inter alia, national DPAs of all EU Member States, presented its guidance in form of an FAQ.

At the time of its publication, the guidance comprises 12 FAQs. It will be updated with further analysis. While the EDPB notes that supplementary measures may be necessary when using standard contractual clauses (SCCs), it fails to specify what that means but promises to provide more guidance in the future. Summarized below are the key takeaways from the EDPB’s guidance.
Continue Reading EDPB Issues Data Transfer FAQs in the Post Privacy Shield Area

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)’s historic decision in Schrems II, in which the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield was invalidated, requires businesses to rethink the mechanism they can rely on to transfer personal data from the EU to the United States and other countries. However, how the decision will be enforced remains

EDPB says that cookie walls require a tracking-free alternative (not necessarily free of charge) and the German Federal Supreme Court rules against opt-out consent for tracking cookies under German law

Introduction

In 2019, various EU member states issued guidance as to whether opt-in consent is necessary for non-essential cookies, with some guidance suggesting opt-in