Europe to rule on data protection

Europe’s highest court will give its first indication this week in how it will rule in a landmark case that may determine how the data of EU citizens held by US firms is protected.

Ireland could play a central role in any eventual treatment of such data as the European Court of Justice could clear the way for the Data Protection Commissioner to investigate the issue in detail.

On Thursday, an advocate general of the court will deliver an opinion on the case taken by an Austrian law student, Maximilian Schrems, against the data protection commissioner.