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Startups who have European users: Beware of the new data-protection jurisdiction in the European Union!

Indie Hackers who have users in the European Union (E.U.), did you see THIS?
http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?docid=228728&dir=&doclang=EN&part=1&occ=first&mode=req&pageIndex=1&cid=13387788#ctx1

There is a new judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of the EU, dated 16 July 2020. It determines that personal data of E.U. citizens may only be transferred to servers run by companies in non-E.U. countries if the data will be safe there. Especially, it seems as if the U.S. of America are not regarded as a country for keeping personal data "safe" any more (if I understand all this legalese speak correctly).

What does this mean for us Indie Hackers who have users in the E.U.? Does it mean that we legally must stop using American SaaS systems (like chatbots, email marketing tools, CRM systems, etc.) that process the personal data of our European users?

Or, vice versa, does it mean that the said American companies (who make those CRM systems, marketing tools, etc. that process personal data) now must stop accepting users from the E.U.?

Or even this: Some of us Indie Hackers who run their businesses on servers outside the E.U., do you now have to stop the sign-ups from users who live in the E.U.?

Or, does it mean that all companies who process personal data will now move to Irish servers in order to be able to have users from the E.U.?

  • Of course, I exaggerate here, that's clear. - Or isn't it?

What do you think about this? It could mean a whole bunch of unwanted work for many of us!

on August 10, 2020