Matt Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC) is backing German calls for stronger data protection, in the wake of the revelation that we have no data protection.The EC has warmed to statements made by Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel. Earlier this week Merkel called for a better understanding of what data internet firms are handing over to intelligence agencies.EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding has agreed with Merkel, having spoken out against data surveillance such as the PRISM programme in the past.In a series of Twitter comments the commissioner said that Europeans do not want to sit in the palm of the US, and would not, if not given the choice, choose to share their communications with it."Citizens don't want public authorities to listen to every phone call they make or read every e-mail they write," she said. "For us Europeans national security and data protection go hand in hand. They are two sides of the same coin."Separately, in a speech at the Digital Life Design event, Reding suggested that governments were acting like cowboys and are just grabbing whatever data they want from everyone."I will not be silent about the recent revelations on programmes such as PRISM in the United States or TEMPORA in the UK or any other spying programme in any other country. Why? Because, in Europe, data protection is a fundamental right.," she said."Citizens do not want the secret service to listen to every phone call they make or read every e-mail they write. And rightly so. For us Europeans, national security and data protection go hand in hand. They are two sides of the same coin. National security is important, but it does not mean that anything goes and that fundamental rights no longer apply. National security and data protection are not enemies."They belong together, it is all about finding the right balance." Sursa TheInquirer.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
