Glossary/Privacy & Identity/Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
Privacy & Identity
Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
European Commission-approved contract terms that companies sign to legally transfer personal data from the EU to countries without an adequacy decision.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are European Commission-approved contract terms that companies sign to legally transfer personal data from the EU to countries without an adequacy decision. They bind the recipient to EU-level data protection, and are usually accompanied by a transfer impact assessment of the destination country's laws.