US scandal shows EU needs ‘highest standards’ on data privacy

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Series Details 07.06.13
Publication Date 07/06/2013
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Following revelations in the UK newspaper The Guardian on the 6 June 2013 that the United States intelligence services have access to personal user information stored on the servers of major internet companies, there was growing reaction from EU Members of the European Parliament and European Commission. Some MEPs said the issue should be taken into account in the European Union's negotiations with the US over a free trade agreement.

On the 10 June 2013 the EUObserver reported that the US National Security Agency (NSA) snooped on all EU member states and on Germany the most.

In a letter to US attorney-general Eric Holder sent on the 10 June 2013 European Commissioner for Justice Viviane Reding said revelations about the US Prism programme could undermine co-operation on data sharing, and requested a detailed explanation of how the system works.

She warned the Obama administration of 'grave adverse consequences' to the rights of Europeans if the US has been systematically spying on them through large-scale monitoring of internet traffic.

EUObserver reported on the 12 June 2013 that the German government was demanding explanations from the US after it emerged that its secret spying programme Prism collected more information from Germany than any other EU country.

Moreover, Left-wing MEPs in the European Parliament and some national MPs on the same day called for answers on whether European intelligence services colluded with the US to snoop on EU citizens.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/3564/us-data-mining-condemned-by-meps
Related Links
EUObserver, 07.06.13: Spy scandal to impact talks on EU-US data treaty http://euobserver.com/justice/120412
BBC News, 07.06.13: US spy chief Clapper defends Prism and phone surveillance http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22809541
Deutsche Welle, 07.06.13: US Internet giants scramble to reassure users amid snooping reports http://www.dw.de/us-internet-giants-scramble-to-reassure-users-amid-snooping-reports/a-16865359
The Guardian, 07.06.13: PRISM scandal: tech giants flatly deny allowing NSA direct access to servers http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/07/prism-tech-giants-shock-nsa-data-mining
ESO: Background information: US free to grab EU data on American clouds http://www.europeansources.info/record/us-free-to-grab-eu-data-on-american-clouds/
ESO: Background Information: Governments to give green light for US trade talks http://www.europeansources.info/record/governments-to-give-green-light-for-us-trade-talks/
EUObserver, 10.06.13: Germany most snooped EU country by US http://euobserver.com/justice/120431
EurActiv, 10.06.13: US data scandal deepens EU-US divide on privacy http://www.euractiv.com/infosociety/us-data-scandal-deepens-eu-us-di-news-528437
US secret surveillance program whistleblower identified http://www.dw.de/us-secret-surveillance-program-whistleblower-identified/a-16869737
EUObserver, 11.06.13: EU breaks silence on US snooping scandal http://euobserver.com/justice/120437
The Guardian, 11.06.13: NSA snooping: Obama under pressure as senator denounces 'act of treason' http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/10/obama-pressured-explain-nsa-surveillance
The Guardian, 10.06.13: World leaders seek answers on US collection of communication data http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/10/european-reaction-us-surveillance-revelations
Le Monde, 11.06.13: Prism Scandal: American spies at home in Europe (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/3869881-american-spies-home-europe
EUObserver, 12.06.13: German government outraged by US snooping scandal http://euobserver.com/justice/120455
Spiegel Online International, 11.06.13: World from Berlin: Prism Spying 'Attacks Basic Civil Rights' http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/german-press-us-spying-program-attacks-basic-civil-rights-a-905089.html
EUObserver, 12.06.13: US spy scandal widens as MEPs and MPs seek answers http://euobserver.com/justice/120454
BBC News, 12.06.13: European Commission demands answers about Prism data requests http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22872884
Spiegel Online International, 13.06.13: Prism Revelation: EU Weakened Data Protection at US Request http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/eu-weakened-data-protection-laws-ahead-of-prism-spy-program-a-905520.html
Deutsche Welle, 12.06.13: Pressure on Merkel to talk 'Prism' with Obama http://www.dw.de/pressure-on-merkel-to-talk-prism-with-obama/a-16876477
Blog: Public Service Europe, 11.06.13: PRISM close to Orwell's 'big brother' where liberty is denied http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/3581/prism-close-to-orwells-big-brother-where-liberty-is-denied
Blog: Public Service Europe, 12.06.13: Like Assange before him, Snowden is no 'whistleblowing hero' http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/3584/like-assange-before-him-snowden-is-no-whistleblowing-hero
Blog: Public Service Europe, 10.06.13: The European response to PRISM must be protecting privacy http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/3566/the-european-response-to-prism-must-be-protecting-privacy
The Guardian, 13.06.13: No privacy without whistleblowers (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/3873491-no-privacy-without-whistleblowers
Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 22.06.13: The revelations over PRISM show that we need a stronger political commitment to privacy protection in Europe. http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2013/06/22/prism-europe-privacy/

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