[huridocs-tech] European Commission report on privacy/security

This latest European Commission on report on Privacy / Security might 
interest people

Title: Security and privacy for the citizen in the Post-September 11 
digital age: A prospective overview

Press Release : 
<http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guestfr.ksh?p_action.getfile=gf&doc=IP/03/1344|0|RAPID&lg=EN&type=PDF>

The full report is available at: <ftp://ftp.jrc.es/pub/EURdoc/eur20823en.pdf>

Related report in Washington Post below:

The Washington Post

Study: Technology Threatens Europeans' Privacy Rights

By Elsa Wenzel
Associated Press Writer
Monday, October 6, 2003; 2:45 PM

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Terrorism-fighting tools and the rise of "little 
brother" digital devices threaten to erode Europeans' right to be 
left alone, according to a study released Monday by the European 
Commission.

Policy makers need to work now to properly balance security and 
privacy before emerging technologies -- such as mobile phones that 
pinpoint drivers' locations -- become a part of daily life, the study 
says.

The study does not attempt to define the proper balance. The 
objective, rather, was "to underline the fact that the balance 
established over years of democratic process has been upset."

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, 
"many governments enhanced their surveillance powers, but at the risk 
of affecting privacy," the report states.

The findings come as the European Union and the United States 
struggle over a U.S. law that requires airlines to provide data on 
passengers, including credit card information, travel agencies used, 
seating and dietary preferences.

"I would hope that the EU would use this report as an opportunity to 
re-establish its pre-eminence in the field of protection of privacy," 
said Simon Davies, director of the London-based watchdog group 
Privacy International.

"There's been a need for caution for many years but now the 
sensitivity should be much higher."

The EU report addresses emerging technologies that will reveal a lot 
about consumers in the not-so-distant future.

For instance, tiny, inventory-control radio tags hidden in anything 
from chocolate bars to blue jeans may be able to identify shoppers' 
likings, perhaps even direct them to specific departments when they 
enter a store. Computers can also analyze data gathered to predict 
someone's mood or purchases of food, drink or vacations.

Later this month, the EU head office will propose electronic privacy 
legislation that officials said will address some of the concerns 
enumerated in the study.

For instance, it will require that location information generated by 
mobile phones can only be used or passed on by network operators with 
the consent of the user, unless it is an emergency call.

"Citizens are not prepared to let privacy be one of the casualties in 
the war on terrorism," Philippe Busquin, the European Union's 
commissioner for research, said in a statement.



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