Data Protection Commissioner v. Facebook Ireland Ltd, and Maximillian Schrems
Schrems II
“the national supervisory authorities are responsible for monitoring compliance with the EU rules concerning the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data. Each of those authorities is therefore vested with the power to check whether a transfer of personal data from its own Member State to a third country complies with the requirements laid down in that regulation” / “The exercise of that responsibility is of particular importance where personal data is tra
How it connects
References
Cited by
- Maximillian Schrems v Data Protection Commissioner
- Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 25 January 2018.#Maximilian Schrems v Facebook Ireland Limited.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Oberster Gerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Area of freedom, security and justice — Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 — Articles 15 and 16 — Jurisdiction in respect of consumer contracts — Definition of ‘consumer’ — Assignment between consumers of claims against the same trader or professional.#Case C-498/16.
- Data Protection Commissioner v. Facebook Ireland Ltd, and Maximillian Schrems
- Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 21 December 2016.#Tele2 Sverige AB v Post- och telestyrelsen and Secretary of State for the Home Department v Tom Watson and Others.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Kammarrätten i Stockholm and the Court of Appeal (England & Wales) (Civil Division).#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Electronic communications — Processing of personal data — Confidentiality of electronic communications — Protection — Directive 2002/58/EC — Articles 5, 6 and 9
- Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 21 December 2016.#Tele2 Sverige AB v Post- och telestyrelsen and Secretary of State for the Home Department v Tom Watson and Others.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Kammarrätten i Stockholm and the Court of Appeal (England & Wales) (Civil Division).#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Electronic communications — Processing of personal data — Confidentiality of electronic communications — Protection — Directive 2002/58/EC — Articles 5, 6 and 9
- Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 21 December 2016.#Tele2 Sverige AB v Post- och telestyrelsen and Secretary of State for the Home Department v Tom Watson and Others.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Kammarrätten i Stockholm and the Court of Appeal (England & Wales) (Civil Division).#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Electronic communications — Processing of personal data — Confidentiality of electronic communications — Protection — Directive 2002/58/EC — Articles 5, 6 and 9
- Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 21 December 2016.#Tele2 Sverige AB v Post- och telestyrelsen and Secretary of State for the Home Department v Tom Watson and Others.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Kammarrätten i Stockholm and the Court of Appeal (England & Wales) (Civil Division).#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Electronic communications — Processing of personal data — Confidentiality of electronic communications — Protection — Directive 2002/58/EC — Articles 5, 6 and 9
- Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 21 December 2016.#Tele2 Sverige AB v Post- och telestyrelsen and Secretary of State for the Home Department v Tom Watson and Others.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Kammarrätten i Stockholm and the Court of Appeal (England & Wales) (Civil Division).#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Electronic communications — Processing of personal data — Confidentiality of electronic communications — Protection — Directive 2002/58/EC — Articles 5, 6 and 9
- Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 3 May 2018.#Republic of Malta v European Commission.#Access to documents — Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 — Documents held by the Commission — Documents originating from a Member State — Documents exchanged pursuant to the control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy — Article 113 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 — Public access following a request made by a non-governmental organisation — Action for annulment
- Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 8 January 2025.#Thomas Bindl v European Commission.#Processing of personal data – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies – Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 – Concept of ‘transfer of personal data to a third country’ – Transfer of data when visiting a website – EU Login – Action for annulment – Act not open to challenge – Inadmissibility – A
- Judgment of the General Court (Tenth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 3 September 2025.#Philippe Latombe v European Commission.#Transfer of personal data to the United States – Commission Implementing Decision on the adequate level of protection of personal data ensured by the United States – Right to an effective remedy – Right to private and family life – Decisions based solely on the automated processing of personal data – Security of the processing of personal data.#Case T-553/23.
- Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 3 May 2018.#Republic of Malta v European Commission.#Access to documents — Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 — Documents held by the Commission — Documents originating from a Member State — Documents exchanged pursuant to the control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy — Article 113 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 — Public access following a request made by a non-governmental organisation — Action for annulment
- Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 21 December 2016.#Tele2 Sverige AB v Post- och telestyrelsen and Secretary of State for the Home Department v Tom Watson and Others.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Kammarrätten i Stockholm and the Court of Appeal (England & Wales) (Civil Division).#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Electronic communications — Processing of personal data — Confidentiality of electronic communications — Protection — Directive 2002/58/EC — Articles 5, 6 and 9
- Judgment of the General Court (Tenth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 3 September 2025.#Philippe Latombe v European Commission.#Transfer of personal data to the United States – Commission Implementing Decision on the adequate level of protection of personal data ensured by the United States – Right to an effective remedy – Right to private and family life – Decisions based solely on the automated processing of personal data – Security of the processing of personal data.#Case T-553/23.
- Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 8 January 2025.#Thomas Bindl v European Commission.#Processing of personal data – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies – Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 – Concept of ‘transfer of personal data to a third country’ – Transfer of data when visiting a website – EU Login – Action for annulment – Act not open to challenge – Inadmissibility – A
- Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 25 January 2018.#Maximilian Schrems v Facebook Ireland Limited.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Oberster Gerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Area of freedom, security and justice — Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 — Articles 15 and 16 — Jurisdiction in respect of consumer contracts — Definition of ‘consumer’ — Assignment between consumers of claims against the same trader or professional.#Case C-498/16.
Related across sources
Full text 4 paragraphs
In accordance with Article 8(3) of the Charter and Article 51(1) and Article 57(1)(a) of the GDPR, the national supervisory authorities are responsible for monitoring compliance with the EU rules concerning the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data. Each of those authorities is therefore vested with the power to check whether a transfer of personal data from its own Member State to a third country complies with the requirements laid down in that regulation (see, by analogy, as regards Article 28 of Directive 95/46, judgment of
It follows from those provisions that the supervisory authorities’ primary responsibility is to monitor the application of the GDPR and to ensure its enforcement. The exercise of that responsibility is of particular importance where personal data is transferred to a third country since, as is clear from recital 116 of that regulation, ‘when personal data moves across borders outside the Union it may put at increased risk the ability of natural persons to exercise data protection rights in particular to protect themselves from the unlawful use or disclosure of that information’. In such cases, as is stated in that recital, ‘supervisory authorities may find that they are unable to pursue complaints or conduct investigations relating to the activities outside their borders’. […]
In order to handle complaints lodged, Article 58(1) of the GDPR confers extensive investigative powers on each supervisory authority. If a supervisory authority takes the view, following an investigation, that a data subject whose personal data have been transferred to a third country is not afforded an adequate level of protection in that country, it is required, under EU law, to take appropriate action in order to remedy any findings of inadequacy, irrespective of the reason for, or nature of, that inadequacy. To that effect, Article 58(2) of that regulation lists the various corrective powers which the supervisory authority may adopt. […]
The fact remains that, in accordance with the case-law set out in paragraphs 119 and 120 above, when a person lodges a complaint with the competent supervisory authority, that authority must examine, with complete independence, whether the transfer of personal data at issue complies with the requirements laid down by the GDPR and, if, in its view, the arguments put forward by that person with a view to challenging the validity of an adequacy decision are well founded, bring an action before the national courts in order for them to make a reference to the Court for a preliminary ruling for the purpose of examining the validity of that decision.