The EU’s data-protection reforms are a threat to privacy

Despite how the EU views itself as somewhat of an antithesis to the NSA-plagued United States in terms of privacy, new European data-protection proposals are getting criticism for civil rights groups across the globe. All of these organizations have expressed their deep concern that these reforms will undermine people’s right to privacy.

European Union data-protection reform proposals could undermine basic privacy rights globally, a growing chorus of critics say. More than 60 civil rights groups from all corners of the world including Europe, Africa, the U.S, Central and South America, Asia and Australia are calling on the European Commission to stop what they said is an effort to undermine people’s right to privacy. The organizations are “deeply concerned” about changes to the data protection reform package being made by European countries gathered in the Council of the EU, one of the European Unions three law-making bodies. The way things are going, privacy protection could end up being weaker than it is now, the groups said in an email on Tuesday to the Commission, the EU’s executive and regulatory arm. Current data protections are based on a 1995 directive, now considered outdated.