Privacy groups push for strongest European data protection law possible

[Commentary] Europe needs a strong data protection law after this year’s revelations about US surveillance, 23 privacy groups said in a letter to members of the European Parliament.

The groups -- including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Consumer Watchdog -- asked Parliament members “to adopt the strongest measures possible” in the data protection law currently being worked on in Europe. “Congress has so far failed to take necessary steps to update US privacy law or to rein in” those surveillance activities, they wrote. “As a consequence, consumers on both sides of the Atlantic remain at risk -- our most sensitive data is too readily available for scrutiny and misuse.” The groups were also critical of US privacy initiatives, including multi-stakeholder efforts and self-regulation programs. These initiatives -- such as voluntary programs to let users opt out of online tracking -- are often cited as one solution to addressing privacy concerns in lieu of legislation.