European Leaders Greatly Concerned Amidst US Data Surveillance Revelations

World leaders as well as analysts and date protection chiefs in Canada, South Africa, Pakistan, and the European Union expressed concern at recent revelations concerning the collection of communication data by the United States. European leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she wants to learn more from their counterparts in the US. Concerns are mounting across Europe given the possibility that information on EU nationals were caught up in the data net.

Clarification required

The EU Commissioner for data protection, Viviane Reding demanded to be informed about the scope of data access. Reding, who’s in charge of data protection within the EU, said that she intends to clarify whether personal data access is limited to individuals, if concrete suspicion is required, or if access is based on wider data sets. A Friday meeting between her and US officials has already been set in Dublin, Ireland. Meanwhile, Chancellor Merkel is scheduled to discuss the issue with US President Barack Obama.

For the protection of European citizens

Officials of the EU Commission revealed the ideal way to conduct personal data transmission should be through official channel, like for instance legal-assistance agreements. A judge in their member state would need to determine the details of the lawful transmission of data when this involves privacy rights of Europeans. Simple reliance on third-country laws such as that of the US could cause a breach of international law.

There had been a previous demand on the Americans from EU officials to provide the same rights of access to judicial redress should their personal information not be handled properly, with the same level of protection afforded US citizens. A proposal for a new data protection scheme that will bind companies based in the US such as the Internet and telephone firms that provide for Europeans was forwarded. According to Reding, the proposal was first laid down 18 months ago.

Unacceptable

The sentiment being felt across Europe could be summarized in a statement by Peter Schaar, Federal Data Protection Commissioner of Germany. He told the press that US authorities having access to citizens of the EU is unacceptable. For him it was also unacceptable that the level of protection for European citizens is lower than the guarantee given to Americans.

The head of the data-protection authority of Italy, Antonello Soro expressed extreme concern on the consequences of surveillance of private Italian and other European citizens. He insisted that such action generalized an indiscriminate data gathering beyond evidence of crime and could never be legalized in his native country. He added that should such data gathering be done it would be a serious violation of the principles of Italy’s legislation.

A member of the European Parliament, French Socialist Françoise Castex expressed outrage and shock at the revelation that Americans were already “snooping on European citizens” even as they still on the negotiating table with the EU. “They decided to do it even before we have responded,” he added. According to Castex, the general agreement in Europe is that American businesses should not be privy to personal information of EU citizens. According to him, there was no real surprise at the revelations, but it was still a shock that the Americans have gone outside the boundaries of existing agreements.

Photo Credit: Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Data Protection