In Europe-US Clash on Privacy, a Longstanding Schism

American and European officials working on a new agreement for the international transfer of digital data like social media posts and online search queries are at an impasse after two years of negotiations. And each side has the same excuse: It’s the other’s fault.

An agreement, officials and industry executives say, would most likely reduce much of the legal uncertainty arising from the court’s landmark ruling. Both sides stress that the remaining sticking points are surmountable, and that a new data agreement is imminent. But they will not offer any sort of timetable, and negotiators say that longstanding hurdles, including disagreements over national intelligence agencies’ access to people’s online data, continue to hold them back.