The push by the EU Council toward data privacy reform for controversial laws takes another step forward. The long-awaited plan for reform got its latest step on Monday with the release of an online privacy plan by the EU Council.
As per the Council, the changes to come will give individuals an increase in control over their personal data. That being said, there are privacy groups that believe the modifications will actually hinder privacy protections for people.
According to the plan released by the Council this week, businesses must get clear consent from individuals in order to collect their personal data. The update will be made to a 1995 law that desperately needs to be modernized to reflect new technological concepts such as smartphones, cloud computing, and high-speed Internet.
As well, in the proposed plan, companies will have to put in security measures that offer personal data protection and notify people when breaches happen to their data. Should companies break any data protection laws, then people can sue those businesses too; the modification would enable people to sue cloud providers in addition to companies for breaches.
The Council’s proposal has come under scrutiny from the BEUC, a European consumer group. For example, BEUC spokesman John Phelan has expressed concern about the total control people have over their protected data. Under the proposal, businesses can share user data with third parties if it is for a “legitimate interest.” That phrase is too vague, according to Phelan, and legitimate interest needs to be clearly explained in the definition.
There will likely be several months of negotiations ahead to the proposed laws before a final data protection bundle is in place as law. The goal is to find a solution that works for both businesses and consumers, providing them both security and protecting their best interests in balanced legislation.