EU needs ‘new laws to fight Google’

EU needs 'new laws to fight Google'The EU’s top data protection chief has fired a warning shot across the bows of companies gathering big data – most notably Google – saying data regulators need to keep a beady eye on whether they are abusing privacy, competition and consumer laws.
In an opinion, the European Data Protection supervisor Peter Hustinx said that legislators had not kept up with the rapid changes in the data market.
His call has been interpreted by some to mean the proposed EU Data Protection Regulation – currently making its way through the Commission – will not be enough to bring Google to heel. It appears Hustinx is not quite as confident as EU justice minister Viviane Reding that the laws will hit Google where it hurts.
In an opinion, Hustinx said: “The collection and control of massive amounts of personal data are a source of market power for the biggest players in the global market. It is essential that synergies in the enforcement of rules controlling anti-competitive practices, mergers, the marketing of so-called ‘free’ online services and the legitimacy of data processing are explored.
“The evolution of big data has exposed gaps in EU competition, consumer protection and data protection policies that do not seem to have kept up with this development. Personal information has become a form of currency to pay for so-called ‘free’ online services and is a valuable intangible asset for an increasing number of companies doing business in the EU. This requires closer interaction between different regulators.”
Hustinx also claimed that the technology sector has not been working hard enough to build tools to offer better security and privacy concerning data collection.
Information law specialist Lore Leitner of Pinsent Masons said that individual EU data protection authorities are becoming increasingly frustrated with their inability to control Google’s power in collecting and using personal data.
She said Hustinx’s remarks show the potential for the EU shift scrutiny of Google’s activities from assessing whether it is compliant with EU data protection laws to whether the way Google gathers and uses personal data gives it undue advantage in competition rules.

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  1. EU #dataprotection reforms not enough to tackle Google, ‘we need new laws’ says Brussels #data chief http://t.co/Rk4hNfWwpJ #directmarketing

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