Tag: Data Protection
Blog
Mitigating the CJEU’s dangerous precedent
Yesterday, in a sweeping and dangerous judgement the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Google should de-index a lawfully published newspaper article about a Spanish citizen. Access believes the Court erred in increasing liability for intermediaries online, unnecessarily and wrongly pitting privacy against access to information, with an unfavorable result.…
14 May 2014
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EP adopts the Data Protection Reform Package
Today, the European Parliament adopted the Data Protection Regulation and Directive, commonly referred to as the Data Protection Reform Package (DPR). This vote represents another crucial step towards protecting European user data and the completion of the long-awaited reform proposed by the European Commission back in January 2012.
…12 March 2014
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After mass surveillance revelations, Europe calls for privacy
Today, the European Parliament adopted its report and recommendations stemming from its investigation of the mass surveillance programmes of the NSA and GCHQ on E.U. citizens. The report, which was drafted over the course of 15 inquiry hearings conducted by the European Parliament civil liberties (LIBE) committee, heard testimony about the impact of the programmes revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden on the fundamental rights of European citizens.
…12 March 2014
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EP’s report on NSA and GCHQ mass-surveillance activities, “Privacy is not a luxury right”
Yesterday, the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) presented its final report on the activities of the American and British spy agencies surveillance programmes and their impact on E.U. citizens’ fundamental rights.…
13 February 2014
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International Data Privacy Day: We remind the European Council of our rights
Today we celebrated the 33rd International Data Privacy Day by reminding members of the Council of the E.U. representatives of their obligation to protect the rights of European citizens. We sent a letter, signed by several European and International NGOs, outlining the importance of the rights to privacy and data protection and urging them to reach a conclusion on the General Data Protection Regulation without any further delay.
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28 January 2014
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EP Inquiry presents its “plan for the future” to protect EU citizens against mass-surveillance
On February 9th, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) presented its long-awaited draft report on the impact of mass surveillance programmes on the rights of European citizens. …
22 January 2014
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Supervision without a Supervisor: EU data protection watchdog in danger
Last Thursday, Europe’s top privacy watchdogs stepped down at the conclusion of their terms. This week, the European Commission has yet to name a successor for its most important privacy posts. At a time when the European Union is actively considering landmark privacy legislation and simultaneously responding to the Snowden mass surveillance revelations, this is at best a shocking oversight and at worst a deliberate attempt to undermine Europeans’ privacy rights.…
20 January 2014
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Review Group’s privacy recommendations for non-U.S. persons lack teeth
Last month the President’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies released their report and recommendations on reform of U.S. surveillance programs. The criticisms in the report, and the detailed nature of the more than 46 recommendations, underscore how much the NSA’s current mass surveillance programs violate the fundamental privacy rights of people around the world.
…9 January 2014
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LIBE Series 14 and 15: Conclusions of the European Parliament on mass-surveillance programs – Part 2
In the 14th and 15th hearings held by the committee for Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), Commissioner Viviane Reding, the Brazilian Parliamentary Inquiry Committee and Glenn Greenwald delivered important testimonies before the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). MEPs then presented the second part of their conclusions and working documents, the result of the thirteen inquiry meetings on the mass-surveillance programmes which aim to catalogue their recommendations aimed at preventing further violations of fundamental rights.
…20 December 2013
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NSA hacks internet company data centers
The NSA is eavesdropping on the private cables running between the Google and Yahoo data centers where all user data is held. Under a program codenamed MUSCULAR the NSA is going right in, without permission from the companies or the courts.…
1 November 2013
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European Parliament vote on Privacy Regulation: major losses obscure other gains
At 18:30 this evening in Strasbourg, the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) held a critical vote on the long-awaited Data Protection Regulation. The outcome of the vote sends a clear message that the Parliament is unprepared to put in…
21 October 2013
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LIBE Series 5: The “policy of empty seats” shakes Members of European Parliament
During the 5th hearing of Civil Liberties (LIBE) committee inquiry on massive electronic surveillance held on October 3rd, members of the European Parliament have condemned the “deplorable conduct” of the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) after their chief Sir Iain Lobban declined the invitation to collaborate to the investigations.
…7 October 2013
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LIBE Series 1 and 2: The European Parliament launches its investigation on extensive spying programs
On September 5th, the LIBE Committee held the first of a series of hearings as part of the inquiry on “Electronic Mass Surveillance of EU Citizen”s established on July 10 by the Libe Committee. The purpose of this inquiry is to investigate into the NSA and other surveillance programmes, and examine whether those programmes are compatible with EU law. …
13 September 2013
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Will the PRISM scandal lead to concrete privacy reform?
Over the last few weeks, nearly every day has brought with it a new disclosure in the NSA surveillance scandal: a new target uncovered or a new foreign government intelligence agency found to be complicit. Yet, with limited public outcry in the United States, one can’t help but wonder if — and why — citizens of other Western democracies may be more offended over this spying than Americans themselves. But Despite the differences in public expectations, will these disclosures, and ensuing outcry, lead to concrete (and much needed) reforms on privacy? (English translation of article published in German in Frankfurter Allgemeine on August 10, 2013).…
21 August 2013
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Newly revealed US surveillance practices possibly illegal, clearly unconstitutional
Details of the recently revealed large-scale, secret United States surveillance programs, the collection of Verizon users’ metadata and PRISM, are still emerging. However, from the information available, it is clear that while the programs rest on dubious legal ground under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), they are both unconstitutional.…
18 June 2013