EU countries, lawmakers reach data rule deal targeting Big Tech
BRUSSELS –听贰鲍听肠辞耻苍迟谤颈别蝉听and聽贰鲍听濒补飞尘补办别谤蝉听on Tuesday agreed on听谤耻濒别s that govern how听叠颈驳听罢别肠丑听and other companies use听贰耻ropean consumer and corporate听诲补迟补, with safeguards against non-贰鲍听governments gaining illegal access.
The听贰耻ropean Commission proposed the听顿补迟补听Act last year to cover听诲补迟补聽generated in smart gadgets, machinery and consumer products, part of a raft of legislation aimed at curbing the power of US听迟别肠丑听giants.
贰鲍听concerns about听诲补迟补聽transfers have grown following revelations by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden in 2013 of mass US surveillance.
The agreement was听谤别补肠丑ed after seven hours of talks.
“Tonight’s agreement on the听顿补迟补听Act is a milestone in reshaping the digital space...we are on the way of a thriving聽贰鲍听诲补迟补听economy that is innovative and open 鈥 on our conditions,”聽贰鲍听industry chief Thierry Breton said in a tweet.
The new legislation gives both individuals and businesses more control over their听诲补迟补聽generated through smart objects, machines and devices, allowing them to copy or transfer听诲补迟补聽easily from across different services.
It also gives consumers and companies a say on what can be done with the听诲补迟补聽generated by their connected products.
The Act makes it easier to switch to other providers of听诲补迟补聽processing services, introduces safeguards against unlawful听诲补迟补聽transfer by cloud service providers and provides for the development of interoperability standards for听诲补迟补聽to be reused between sectors.
Manufacturers watered down an attempt to force them to share听诲补迟补聽with third parties to provide aftermarket or other听诲补迟补-driven services. Siemens and SAP聽had voiced fears about trade secret-related听诲补迟补聽leaks.
Such听诲补迟补聽sharing requests can be rejected under exceptional circumstances where operators could face “serious and irreparable economic losses” undermining their economic viability under the new law.
Lawmaker Damian Boeselager said this created a loophole for some companies.
“I find this deeply concerning. But at least a national authority can review and annul such a unilateral decision by the operator in a timely manner,” he said.
Lobbying group The Information听罢别肠丑nology Industry Council (ITI) criticized the wide scope of the Act.
“We have ongoing concerns regarding the Act’s broad and ambiguous approach to听诲补迟补聽sharing, including on the expansion of the products and services originally in scope and the safeguards for trade secrets protection, as well as the听谤耻濒别s impacting international transfers of non-personal听诲补迟补,” its director general for听贰耻rope, Guido Lobrano, said. – Reuters
