NGO’s Worldwide Send Letter Asking EC President Juncker To Defend Privacy

Sixty-six nongovernmental organizations from around the globe sent a joint letter to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker asking for confirmation that the EU’s reformed Data Protection framework will maintain the data privacy protections afforded to EU citizens, a European Digital Rights (EDRi) news release said Tuesday. In 2012, the European Commission proposed to modernize and reform European privacy legislation, and the European Commission promised individuals’ data protections wouldn't fall below existing levels, the release said. “Leaks show that this promise is not being kept,” it said. "Without leadership from President Juncker, the right to privacy, not just in Europe but around the globe will be undermined," said EDRi Executive Director Joe McNamee. "We hope and expect that the Commission President will uphold the integrity and independence of his institution,” and issue a “short, rapid response to our question," he said. “Faced with profiling, digitisation of health data and online tracking, every corner of our lives is increasingly being invaded by ‘big data’,” the release said. “Due to the amount of data being collected, businesses and governments increasingly know more about us than we know about ourselves -- about our preferences, our health, our relationships and our politics,” it said. “Without credible regulation citizens lose, businesses lose, society loses.”