Privacy activist Max Schrems wants the European commissioner to withdraw the charge

A privacy enthusiast Max Schrems European Commissioner Didier Reynders of Justice yesterday retracted the accusations and apologized. Schrems and nonprofits filing privacy cases in the European Court are a “business model,” Reinders said. As Schrems said of one charge, he has now done so three times An open letter.

The European Court of Justice has previously ruled that two agreements between the European Union and the United States on the exchange of personal data are invalid because the data of European citizens is not adequately protected in the United States. Thanks to Schrems’ complaints, the court considered these agreements. Yesterday, the European Commission announced a new data agreement with the US, which Schrems again heavily criticized.

Reinders said during a press conference yesterday that the cases are a business model for Schrems. The Austrian privacy activist has now published an open letter in which he calls on Reinders to retract his accusations and apologize. “If you are properly informed, you will know that I work on these matters, and as head of noyb, on a purely ‘pro bono’ basis,” Schrems said. So no one “benefits” from the lawsuits, the privacy activist continues.

Schrems notes that this is the third time Reynders has made such statements, so the European Commissioner assumes he will continue to do so and therefore makes a formal request for an official correction and apology. Additionally, Schrems wants to apologize not to himself, but to the legal and nonprofit community committed to protecting basic civil rights.

The privacy activist says his claim is motivated not only by reputational damage, but also by Reinders’ suggestion that citizens seeking to exercise their rights are doing so in bad faith. “This is completely unacceptable from the European Commissioner, who is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining justice and fundamental rights in the EU,” concludes Schrems.