Recent quotes:
The European Parliament is set to confirm its intention to strengthen data protection for EU citizens in this long overdue legislative review. After over two years of stalling, the ball is in the court of member state governments to agree a position and start negotiations, so we can respond to citizens' interests and deliver an urgently needed update of EU data protection rules. This confirmation vote will give us a clear mandate to start negotiations and we hope EU governments will not delay any further and begin work to finalise the legislation immediately after the European elections. Every day that goes by without updating the outdated patchwork of EU data protection rules, is at the expense of EU citizens and their rights."
The Directive indiscriminately target half a billion people across Europe. The data can be used to build up a profile of someone’s private and social life, medical history, political connections, and economic activities. The opinion presented by the European Court of Justice advocate general, Pedro Cruz Villalón, is a first step towards more robust privacy and civil liberties in Europe.
In the opinion, Cruz Villalón decided that the massive infringement of privacy allowed by the Directive, and the threat this poses to fundamental rights in Europe, outweighed any alleged benefits. This decision affects everyone in the European Union who uses email, makes telephone calls, or has a smart phone that records their location.