The European Commission and the U.S. announced an updated safe harbor agreement Tuesday, with a new trans-Atlantic data transfer mechanism that would protect the personal information of EU citizens and give them a way to legally challenge U.S. government agencies that mishandle such data. The EC announced the deal in a news release and the Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker was scheduled to brief reporters about the new agreement that's now called the EU-US Privacy Shield. The deal was welcome news for the 4,400 U.S. companies that were formerly certified under the old safe harbor deal nullified in October by the European Union's highest court.

The FCC said it will move forward with an NPRM on a downloadable security replacement for CableCARD, on the same day a group of multichannel video programming distributors, consumer electronics companies and content providers and some of their associations announced the formation of a coalition opposing such a move. Chairman Tom Wheeler will circulate an NPRM to eighth-floor FCC offices that he said is intended for a vote Feb. 18. Communications Daily had first reported, in December, that such an NPRM was in the works and likely to come soon (see 1512150072).

A group of some 40 public interest groups is sending a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler asking the commission to begin a privacy rulemaking. Industry observers said Tuesday that the letter is likely a prelude to an expected FCC NPRM on privacy (see 1601110065).