E-Privacy: A victory for citizens’ interests over lobbying efforts of big business
Date
Sections
Strasbourg, 26 October 2017
The European Parliament in Strasbourg today voted in favour of starting negotiations with the Council and Commission over new rules to give citizens control over how their confidential information can be used or shared online.
Parliament negotiator for the e-privacy legislation and S&D Group MEP, Marju Lauristin, said:
“Today’s vote is a victory for citizen’s rights over the lobbying efforts of big business. I am delighted that the majority of our Parliament have clearly rejected this misinformation and lies today.
“The e-privacy regulation is designed to adapt the rules on the confidentiality of communication for the reality of the 21st Century. It covers new forms of private communication, such as WhatsApp or Skype, which did not exist when these laws were first introduced. It gives citizens much greater control over how their confidential information can be used by private companies.
“We can start the negotiations with the Council and Commission and finalise these important proposals as soon as possible.”
S&D Group spokesperson for civil liberties, justice and home affairs, Birgit Sippel, said:
“The e-Privacy regulation aims to put users back in control of their communication data and wants to ensure that they are able to decide how this information is being used. It is created to ensure that confidentiality of communications in a digital environment becomes a reality for everyone in the EU. We are pleased that the Parliament has backed strong protections for citizens today. There have been a lot of myths circulating about this report spread by industrial lobbyists who are engaged in a misleading campaign. We are pleased that the majority of the Parliament has seen sense and allowed us to move forward with these important new rules.
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