Washington, D.C. — TechNet, the bipartisan policy and
political network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today applauded
the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to approve the Judicial Redress Act. The
legislation was approved the U.S. House of Representatives last October, and
now goes to the full Senate for consideration.

“The Committee’s action today is an
important step forward in
restoring global public trust in the American government and tech companies,”
said Linda Moore, president
and CEO of TechNet. “The
United States must address the urgent need to finalize the data protection
Umbrella Agreement with the European Union. The completion of a cross-border data flow
agreement is essential to driving American innovation and maintaining the U.S.
technology sector’s global competitiveness. TechNet urges U.S. and EU negotiators to
swiftly finalize a new Safe Harbor agreement, which will provide American
companies with certainty as they process transatlantic flows of data.”

“TechNet applauds Chairman Grassley and
Ranking Member Leahy for advancing this legislation. We urge the full Senate to pass the Judicial Redress Act as soon as
possible.”

The Judicial Redress Act is an integral part
of the adoption of the U.S.-EU data protection Umbrella Agreement, which puts
in place a comprehensive high-level data protection framework for U.S.-EU law
enforcement cooperation. The legislation
grants protections to records shared by EU and other designated countries with
U.S. law enforcement for criminal investigations and extends legal remedies to
those countries’ citizens who believe their records have been improperly
handled by U.S. authorities.

The Act
is also a point of discussion in the ongoing negotiations for a new Safe Harbor
agreement. These negotiations gained
particular urgency when the European Court of Justice invalidated the original
Safe Harbor agreement last October. U.S.
and EU negotiators have until February 2 to finalize a new pact before American
companies could face legal action by EU privacy regulators.

About TechNet
TechNet is the national,
bipartisan network of CEOs and senior executives that promotes the growth of
the technology industry by building long-term relationships between technology
leaders and policymakers and by advocating a targeted policy agenda at the
federal and 50-state level. TechNet has offices in Washington, D.C., Silicon
Valley, Sacramento, Seattle, Boston, and Austin.