London (AFP)

The social media giant Facebook was dismissed on Friday by the Irish courts of its request to block an investigation by the Irish regulator, which could lead to a halt in data transfers from the EU to the United States.

Entered by Facebook, the Irish High Court had agreed in September to temporarily block the investigation of the Data Protection Commission (DPC).

But on Friday, she announced to reject the claims of the American group.

"I refuse any claim (from Facebook Ireland)," said High Court Judge David Barniville.

A decision welcomed by the regulator, in a brief statement received by AFP, and which could lead the DPC to block the transfer of personal data from Facebook, at the heart of its economic model, from the EU to the United States.

Facebook had contested the preliminary conclusions of the DPC (the equivalent of the French CNIL), which seemed ready to challenge the system used by the American group to transfer the data of its users from one continent to another.

The Irish regulator, which supervises Facebook on behalf of the EU, since the latter has its regional headquarters in Ireland, acted in the wake of a resounding decision by the European justice system.

The latter invalidated in July a crucial mechanism for transferring personal data from the EU to the United States, called Privacy Shield ", due to fears about US surveillance programs.

American companies that use the "Privacy Shield" can fall back, like Facebook, on another European data transfer mechanism, the "standard contractual clauses" (SCC).

But the DPC considered that this new mechanism might not have a legal basis either.

She then initiated an investigation on August 28.

"The DPC could now (block the transfers of Facebook data from the EU to the United States) in two months, after nearly eight years of proceedings", commented on Twitter Max Schrems, quoted in the complaint of the social network and at the origin of a long standoff with the social network founded by Mark Zuckerberg.

Figure of the fight for the protection of personal data and founder of the NGO "NOYB" (None of your business), this "David" facing the digital giant wanted to interrupt the flow of data between the European headquarters of Facebook and his house -mother in California, believing that personal data is better protected in Europe.

Facebook spokespersons contacted by AFP did not immediately respond to AFP's requests for comment.

Mr. Schrems had relied on the Irish justice to force the DPC to investigate the sending of this data to American servers.

© 2021 AFP