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EU acts to protect Internet privacy

NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SOCIALIST GROUP

25 June 2008:  Contact Tony Robinson +32-475-257410   www.socialistgroup.eu


EU ACTS TO PROTECT INTERNET PRIVACY


The EU is to step up protection for Internet users' privacy following
the adoption today of key Socialist amendments to the e-privacy
directive.

Internet service providers will be required to tell customers about
hacker attacks that could lead to privacy invasions such as identity
theft or email snooping.  The service providers will also have to list
network security breaches in their annual reports.

When governments access individuals' private data, the service
providers must inform national regulatory authorities, who can refer
cases to court when governments exceed their authority.

Members of the all-party civil liberties committee urged governments
to impose penal sanctions for infringements of the e-privacy
directive.

Said committee vice-president and Socialist spokesman on the report
Stavros Lambrinidis after today's vote:  "The highest possible
protection of the privacy of all citizens who use the internet should
be non-negotiable."

Referring to the need to resolve contradictions between some of the
amendments adopted, he added:  "The Socialists will cooperate with
other groups to ensure that the final report reflects the Parliament's
unequivocal and unwavering commitment to the protection of fundamental
rights of our citizens.

"The monetary interests of big internet companies cannot determine for
Europe the rules that we set for the protection of our citizens'
rights."

The committee threw out attempts to get round strict privacy
protection in order to protect alleged intellectual property
interests.

Mr Lambrinidis rejected a possible exemption from the need for
companies to inform national regulatory authorities, if security
breaches did not "cause harm", adding:  "The unlawful violation of a
citizen's privacy rights is harmful by definition, both to the
individual and to our democratic societies,"

The report is expected to be adopted by the full Parliament in September.


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