EU Data Protection Law Update Proposed

Uncompromising new consumer data protection laws are to be announced by European officials in coming hours.

The core of these laws will be new powers that place into the consumers' hands the right to have firms delete personal data and they're set to update the now 17-year-old Data Protection Directive, allowing internet users to demand that personal data, obtained by firms, is not retained by them.

The advent of the new EU personal data laws has been strongly driven by the rise of social networking sites in recent years, which are typically highly populated by younger members of society. It's quite conceivable, according to one official quoted by the BBC, that young adults or teenagers "are not always as aware as they could be about the consequence of putting photos and other information on social network websites, or about the various privacy settings available."

Fast-forward to future years and this posted data could quash efforts to obtain employment and/or damage the user's reputation in other ways, officials argue.

New EU Data Protection

The proposed new EU data protection legislation currently exists in draft form and at least one news agency has viewed it. According to the Financial Times, online firms guilty of violating the laws, once introduced, could face fines of as much as two per cent of their overall turnover, so the intended penalties are potentially severe.

It's anticipated, though, that the new EU data protection legislation couldn't be made law for at least 12 months, given the standard multi-layered approval process required. First, the proposal would go before the European Parliament, then it would be studied by 27 EU nations and, potentially, be tweaked according to individual nations' needs.

EU Data Law Update

The proposed EU data law update was outlined by Viviane Reding - European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship - at the DLD (Digital Life Design) conference which opened in Munich, Germany on 22 January and finishes today. Besides their main data protection content, the laws will also oblige all companies to swiftly notify both users and officials of instances where online security has been compromised and personal data obtained.

This news has already prompted the release of statements from several major online organisations. Said Facebook: ‘We welcome vice-president Reding's view that good regulation should encourage job creation and economic growth rather than hindering it, and look forward to seeing how the EU Data Protection Directive develops in order to deliver these two goals while safeguarding the rights of internet users.'

Security Technology will revisit this topic in future News coverage.

Image copyright Gabriella Fabbri