New EU Data Law Creates Hurdles for U.S. Tech Companies

The sweeping new digital-privacy regime that European Union officials agreed to runs counter to practices that have become commonplace in the U.S., according to several American corporations. The combination of stiff penalties and ambiguously worded provisions in the new EU-wide data-protection law, which would replace a patchwork of 28 national laws, raises daunting prospects for companies operating in Europe.