How it works in a data room
A US provider joins by certifying to the principles on the Data Privacy Framework website, which lists active participants. The European Commission has issued an adequacy decision for certified companies, so EU customers can transfer personal data to them without additional contractual tools. Certification must be renewed every year, and lapsed participants drop off the list. Similar extensions exist for UK and Swiss transfers.
Why it matters in a deal
For a European seller using a US-hosted room, the framework simplifies one of the questions privacy counsel will ask. Many providers still include standard contractual clauses in their processing terms as a fallback, since earlier transfer arrangements were struck down by EU courts in 2015 and 2020. Checking the public list, rather than relying on a sales statement, takes a minute. Where policy demands that data never leave Europe, data residency remains the safer route, and the GDPR still governs everything else the seller does. The regions directory covers other cross-border rules.
Example
A Swedish game studio considers a US-hosted room for its sale. Its counsel searches the public participant list, confirms the provider’s certification is active and covers HR data, and checks that the processing agreement also includes contractual clauses. With both in place, the studio proceeds without moving to an EU-hosted alternative.