Snowden Disclosures Fuel Europe's Privacy Fears
Although it has been six months since the first disclosure by Edward Snowden, the public revelations of the scope and scale of the capabilities of the National Security Agency do not appear to be slowing down.
Based on new leaked information, the NSA has recently been accused of eavesdropping on the telephone conversations of Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany.
This information, along with accusations of intercepting phone calls by other high-ranking foreign officials, comes at a critical time as the European Union deliberates new data protection regulations. For over a decade, the data protection regulations of the European Union and its member states have represented the most stringent of their type in the world.
Germany, in particular, has been at the forefront in enforcing these laws. These regulations generally prohibit the transfer of personal data of EU citizens to any country that lacks adequate data protection safeguards unless approved by the citizen's member state.
Beginning in 2012, the EU initiated a process to further strengthen its approach to the protection of personal data and to ensure unified treatment and enforcement across all of its member states. In response to these new reports of government surveillance, the US can expect a critical review of its status as a permitted recipient of EU personal data.
MORE...
http://www.usatoday.com/story/cybertruth/2013/10/31/snowden-disclosures-fuel-europes-privacy-fears/3327889/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=206567
