back to article EU steps (marginally, tentatively) towards new data protection law

European ministers are expected to reach some sort of agreement on new data protection laws later today, according to reports and sources, although discussions before a final decision are set to continue for months yet. Justice and Home Affairs ministers from across the EU are meeting Monday in Luxembourg and the main item on …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    EU steps (marginally, tentatively) towards new data protection law...

    And as usual it's one step forward... two steps back...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Joint liability

    These are all just positions ahead of the next round of negotiations via trialogue. Odd no mention of the controversy on joint liability that means you might end up liable for the actions of your B2B customers. Not fun if you get a fine of a percentage of global turnover because someone is unhappy with the company using your cloud services.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    The best Data Protection approach

    What with Spooks sniffing, advertisors monitoring, various miscreants hacking and stupid laws that only slap companies and governments politely on the wrist when they get it wrong, I just don't feel Data Protection is a realistic proposition.

    For me, the best method to protect the public's data is to not collect it unless absolutely necessary.

    1. Trigonoceps occipitalis

      Re: The best Data Protection approach

      It is absolutely necessary:

      1. I need to ensure that the adverts I serve are absolutely targeted to inform you about the items you have just bought.

      2. My business plan depends on sharing the data I have gathered about you with our absolutely carefully selected (show me the money) partners.

      3. There is absolutely no chance, none what so ever, of your data being compromised. It is stored using our own dehanced version of the Caesar cypher behind a fire wall supplied and setup by the NSA.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: The best Data Protection approach

        Ahh I suppose I was being a bit naive.

        Might I be allowed to correct my statement to read

        "...absolutely necessary from the victim's perspective for the sole purpose of furthering the service offered"?

  4. no_RS

    Very few seem interested?

    I am surprised there are so few comments, it seems that every man and his dog complain about privacy invasion or can't make the connection between giving out their details and the subsequent deluge of spam (electronic and paper) they receive.

    For example, the HSBC mobile banking app on android wants access to your contacts, the camera and lots of other things, why? Surely verifying the device is the right one would be enough but apparently not.

    The EU will fudge the issue as usual and 'we the people' will suffer for it, then they wonder why people want to leave the EU...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Very few seem interested?

      Probably just waiting to see what the Eu actually comes up with. I know I am, although the opinion that's been given, that the 'safe harbour' agreement with the US isnt; worth the paper it's written on is a good start. But it's whether that opinion is acted upon, and if so, how, that matters.

      I for one, don't give a monkeys if the EU insists on data privacy issues that inconvenience the likes of Facebook,Google, Amazon, etc. Any business built around actions that are ethically dubious if not actually unsound should expect a come-uppance eventually, and if they don't have plans for dealing with that, tough. People matter more than corporations.

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