Google calls for US to extend Privacy Act protections to EU citizens

Google called on the federal government to allow European citizens to challenge the misuse of their data by the US government in US courts, a right already enjoyed by Americans in the European Union.

The proposal would help heal rifts that have appeared between the US and Europe in the wake of surveillance revealed by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, said Google chief legal officer David Drummond. "Google and many other technology companies have urged the US to take the lead and introduce reforms that ensure government surveillance activity is clearly restricted by law, proportionate to the risks, transparent and subject to independent oversight," Drummond wrote. "Sadly, we’ve seen little serious reform to date. "