Consumer Groups Seek ‘Fair And Balanced' EU Privacy Regulation Debate

An international alliance of consumer groups is concerned about the tenor of a Sept. 15 hearing on the "Internet Privacy: The Impact and Burden of EU Regulation" in the Republican-led House Commerce Subcommittee, particularly that "burden" part, with no countervailing "benefit" to balance it, at least in the title of the hearing.

According to a briefing memo, the hearing will look into EU privacy and data-collection regulations and their impact on the Internet economy, which it suggests include "inconsistent" application across different regulatory regimes and created problems for U.S. multinationals, including targeted enforcement. The groups, including Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America, are part of the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue, a joint forum that develops consumer policy recommendations to the U.S. and European Union. "We appreciate the interest of the United States Congress in the very important issue of Internet privacy, the groups wrote in a letter to Reps Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), chair of the subcommittee, and ranking member G. K. Butterfield (D-NC). "TACD is therefore somewhat surprised by what appears to be an effort to call into question the purpose and "burden" of the EU Data Directive.