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EU Parliament approves tougher data protection regulation
2014-03-12 15:20:00| Telecompaper Headlines
(Telecompaper) The European Parliament has adopted a draft regulation preparing the way for stronger personal data protection in the EU. The text approved by the plenary session on first reading was identical to that passed by the Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs last October. The Parliament said in a statement that the aim was to consolidate the work so far on reforming data protection, so that the new Parliament taking office after elections in May does not need to start from scratch. The EU Council, which has the final say on the legislation, decided already last autumn that the data protection reform would not make it through the current parliamentary session and set a deadline of 2015 for passing the law. EU states have been divided on the law, as some like the UK fear the proposal creates an increased regulatory burden for businesses, especially those operating online and internationally, and other countries, such as Germany, want stronger protection for personal privacy. Designed to replace the existing data protection directive from 1995, the new law aims to give consumers greater control over how their personal data is used, especially online. It also extends EU regulations to businesses based outside the region and handling data on EU residents. Firms violating the rules would face fines up to EUR 100 million or 5 percent of annual turnover.
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protection
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parliament
Category:Telecommunications