Facebook’s Fight Over Data Flows Pressures EU-U.S. Policy Talks

Facebook Inc.‘s failed bid to prevent the impending blockage of data flowing from Europe to the U.S. puts pressure on government officials who are negotiating over privacy protections, according to a former U.S. policy director.

The social media giant could be forced to suspend trans-Atlantic data flows following a Friday court ruling that allowed Ireland’s data privacy watchdog to move forward with its review of the legality of Facebook’s handling of personal data on Europeans. Ireland’s High Court rejected Facebook’s complaints about the process the watchdog followed, setting up a potentially longer battle over the inquiry’s outcome.

The ruling ...