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European Commission Outlines Steps To Restore Trust In EU-US Data Flows

Posted by Unknown on from the mending-wounds dept.

hypnosec writes "The European Commission has outlined steps it believes will pave the way for restoring faith in EU-U.S. data flows following revelations about NSA spying activities under its PRISM program. The EC notes that spying on its citizens, companies, and leaders is unacceptable; and that citizens of U.S. and EU need to be reassured about protection of their data, while companies need to be reassured that the existing agreements between the two regions are respected and enforced. The Commission outlined a total of six areas that it believes require action including swift adoption of the EU's data protection reforms; making Safe Harbor safer; strengthening data protection safeguards in the law enforcement area; commitment from the U.S. for making use of a legal framework; addressing European concerns in the on-going U.S. reform process; and promoting privacy standards internationally."

18 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. We have a reform process in the US? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 3, Insightful

    >> addressing European concerns in the on-going U.S. reform process

    Really, we have an active privacy reform process in the US? I haven't heard much about that since Obamacare finally went off the rails.

    1. Re:We have a reform process in the US? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Given your US news I can see why you wouldn't know anything about it really.

    2. Re:We have a reform process in the US? by TheMeuge · · Score: 2

      Yes, the reform is in the direction of no-privacy for everyone.

      I have to say it, but we should mod up the AC.

      The active privacy reform across the industrial world (yes, EU, UK, AU I'm talking to you as well, not just US) is the assertions that:
      1. there no right to privacy for the citizens
      2. there IS a right to privacy for n, where n=power or money (read: police, government, corporate interests)
      3. noting a vast power unbalance as a result of 1 and 2 makes one a terrorist

    3. Re:We have a reform process in the US? by mlts · · Score: 4, Interesting

      What, you mean the latest news about a four game suspension from the Seahawks isn't news, or Dancing With the Stars new season?

      No wonder why most of the clued Americans end up reading Al Jazeera these days when 5-10 years ago, AJ was joked about as the "terrorist news network". Thanks to an earlier reference, dw.de is another decent source (although all the above have their bias, and one can easily see it in the way their stuff is phrased.)

      On a realistic note, the Europeans have a valid issue about this.

      There are diplomatic solutions (trust, but verify), but there are also technological solutions. One of those could be passthrough encryption in one country before data is stored in another, where if company "A" wants to store data in their home country, the data from country "B" would have to be encrypted in that country by a key only held there. Of course, there is a lot of room to compromise keys (key management is in itself a major undertaking), but done right, it isn't impossible.

    4. Re:We have a reform process in the US? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 2

      MJ is legal in WA and CO - in terms of the Seahawks being suspended.

      There are no methods to overturn an unjust invasion of Privacy and the constant violations of the US Constitution - nobody ever goes to jail for doing that.

      Ever.

      The revolution is coming fast, you can hear it boiling.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  2. We have the solution! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    More lies! This will work this time. We're sure of it!

    You'd be a fool to trust the US anywhere near your data these days. All the stuff revealed lately is just *some* of what's what.
    What we don't yet know.......

    Justice has been severely folded, bent, mutilated, and trampled. It's going to take DECADES to restore even a small percentage of the trust erased lately.

    1. Re:We have the solution! by gmuslera · · Score: 4, Informative

      This. If NSA chief have no problem lying to US congress, and had no consequences after that was found out, what stop them to keep lying to Europe all they want?

      And what was released till now is just the tip of the iceberg (or just a snowflake over it) so far it has been released 500 out of 200000 of the documents that Snowden got.

      There is no reasonable trust anymore, but they can be gullible all they want, or just play this as a theater to keep their population at bay.

  3. Restore trust?? by fustakrakich · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Heh, that's a good one. How do you restore trust in a system that is corrupt by design, not by defect? You cannot ever trust any system to works on concentrated authority. It is impossible to acquire adequate oversight.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  4. "EU won't suspend data sharing accords with U.S." by dcollins · · Score: 4, Informative

    That's the more concise headline today at Reuters -- http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/27/us-eu-us-security-idUSBRE9AQ0F120131127

    The European Union backed down on Wednesday from threats to suspend agreements granting the United States access to European data, rejecting calls for a tougher stance over alleged U.S. spying.

    The move marks an abrupt about-turn for the European Commission, the EU executive, after warnings it issued in July to U.S. officials following revelations that Washington had spied on European citizens and EU institutions.

    Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU's commissioner for home affairs, said she had found no proof of U.S. wrongdoing, either in the sharing of flight passenger records or in the tracking of international payments...

    Sophie in 't Veld, a Dutch Liberal member of the European Parliament, criticized the Commission's move.

    "They are putting diplomatic relations ahead of citizens rights. The Commission is being extremely timid to the Americans," she told Reuters.

    "They have done an investigation and concluded that everything is hunky dory. This is not serious," she said, adding that taking the United States at its word was naive.

    --
    We know where leadership by an anti-intellectual "strongman" who scapegoats minorities and likes boisterous rallies goes
  5. They'll just continue spying anyway by 2phar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When we have flaps like this that occur, you know, something will change, and I expect we'll get some sort of announcement that will - that the Europeans can point to as a curtailment and as a change. But as time goes by, flaps blow over, and the permanent interests of ourselves and our allies reassert themselves.

    Paul Pillar, 28-year veteran of the CIA

  6. Trust in USA? What's that? by coder111 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Who in their right mind could trust USA? Unicorns are more real than trust in USA. Spying, 2 wars based on lies and deceit, lots of profiteering at everyone's expense, patent trolling and other IP based litigation nonsense, shoving harmful legislation down everyones throats- all of that is coming from US.

    Well, unless it's "trust" as in "I trust US to screw everyone at every opportunity".

    --Coder

  7. Re:"EU won't suspend data sharing accords with U.S by bob_super · · Score: 2

    If the EU had at least the same size balls as Brazil, they would demand reciprocity.
    Let's see how long the Americans would tolerate their data being "safely shared" with Europe's governments.

    What? A storm during thanksgiving? Snow at Christmas! Playoffs? The superbowl !!!!! (5, for insanity)
    What was the topic again, Obamacare?

  8. Europe has battered wife syndrom by Nyder · · Score: 2

    "The USA isn't always like that, only when I do something wrong. I love the USA, I could never stop being it's partner." - EU

    --
    Be seeing you...
  9. Re:"EU won't suspend data sharing accords with U.S by neo-mkrey · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So the EU rolls overs and is a good bitch for the US again? Pathetic! I don't know what is worse, the fact the US has no morals, or the fact the EU has no balls?

  10. For the US/NSA trust is a one way street by schwit1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The EU tried going the trust route and it got burned. This situation is indicative of the scorpion and the frog.

  11. Re:"EU won't suspend data sharing accords with U.S by Carewolf · · Score: 2

    The European Union backed down on Wednesday from threats to suspend agreements granting the United States access to European data, rejecting calls for a tougher stance over alleged U.S. spying

    Alleged? What part of the official U.S. policy and actions they have admitted to, apologized for but vowed to continue, is alleged?

    That is not a neutral story. I wouldn't trust it.

  12. Reassure me all you goddamn want by weilawei · · Score: 2

    But following that up by saying you want to protect existing agreements seems to imply to me: We're going to keep spying on you and blackmailing you, but we're going to hide it better, promise!

    Same shit, different day.

  13. Re:What's wrong with cutting the wire? by newcastlejon · · Score: 2

    The US constitution is a limit of what government can do.

    Evidently not.

    --
    If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.