EU, US officials tackle last hurdles in data pact talks ahead of key deadline

Complicated: The ECJ's landmark decision stemmed from a complaint by Schrems (pic), who challenged Facebook's transfers of European users' data to its American servers because of the risk of US snooping.

BRUSSELS: European and US officials are rushing to finalise a key data transfer pact days before a meeting of EU regulators who are poised to start restricting transatlantic flows of personal data used by firms in the billion dollar online advertising industry.

A new deal is crucial for the many thousands of businesses that until late last year relied on "Safe Harbour", a framework which protected Europeans' data moving to the United States, when it was struck down by an EU court over concerns about US Internet surveillance.