back to article 'Progress made' as EU aims to get new data protection laws ASAP

The second round of negotiations on the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) saw real movement on Tuesday, according to negotiators. Sources familiar with the discussions told El Reg that a tentative political agreement has been reached already on Chapter 5 and Article 3. These two elements focus specifically on …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It will be watered down

    UK, Holland and (potentially) France will water down anything meaningful in the security agency portion to the point where the US Patriot act will look like a pinnacle of democracy by comparison. Similarly, any company provisions that are likely to derail the TATP will also be neutered from the start.

    As Eu grows, its rights and "behaviour code" legislation is becoming more and more toothless by the day. In a hindsight it was probably better to keep it to its ~ 1990-es size and kick out immediately anyone with delusions of special needs.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: It will be watered down

      to the point where the US Patriot act will look like a pinnacle of democracy by comparison

      First of all, there are five federal laws that make a data protection mess in the US, not just the one you named. Secondly, the problem is not legislation, but control of enforcement, transparency and accountability. Especially the latter is so absolutely crucial that it would make more sense to start from that angle.

      It's not hard to work out what has to be done, but I suspect there are many, many skeletons to clear out of cupboards before this will happen. I suspect it will involve an amnesty of sorts before the decks could be cleared for that one..

      1. sniperpaddy

        Re: It will be watered down

        I think the biggest problem is the states, is control of how the laws are "interpreted".

        There seems to be a trend now in the US, Australia and the UK for deliberately vague laws that allow unforeseen wide scope due to convenient interpretation.

  2. Graham Marsden
    Thumb Down

    "exceptions for national security"

    And there's the rub. Any such "exceptions" will no doubt be surrounded by sufficient weasel phrases that any protections that these regulations offer will be ineffective because "national security".

  3. Alister

    Brussels moves like a striking cobra,

    Well, one filmed in extreme slo-mo, anyway...

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
      Trollface

      Not slo-mo.

      European Time.

      That's Administration Time times 28.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Devil in the details

    Broad political agreement means that "all we really need to do now is nail down the exact wording,"

    Face meet palm. Its a regulation which means the exact wording will be binding as is in all member states. The 1995 Directive was 'translated' into national law.

    Getting the exact wording meaningful and correct without leaving everyone uncertain until several rounds of legal precedent being set by escalating issues to the European courts will be no mean feat.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like