Brussels, 11/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - Consumer profiling via smart meters for energy consumption is not without risks to privacy, according to the European data protection supervisor, who recommends that limits should be clearly established.
Although it will bring significant advantages in terms of energy savings, the deployment at EU level of smart meter systems to measure the energy consumption of households will also enable massive collection of personal data on what members of the household do within the privacy of their own homes, the European data protection supervisor (EDPS) warns, in an opinion published on 8 June on the Commission's recommendation on preparing for the introduction of smart meters in 2020. The EDPS warns of the risk of the exploitation of models and profiles for purposes other than the analysis of consumption for energy savings purposes, including marketing, advertising and price discrimination by third parties.
In light of these risks, the EDPS feels that the Commission's recommendations to the member states are insufficient, and recommends new guidelines in the data protection impact analysis model. The EDPS also argues in favour of additional legislative measures, including the introduction of an amendment in the "energy efficiency" directive, currently being discussed, obliging controllers to carry out an impact assessment on data protection and to notify any infringements of personal data. The EDPS makes four recommendations: - the creation of guidelines on the legal basis of the processing and the choices available to data subjects, including the frequency of meter readings; - mandatory application of privacy-enhancing technologies and other “best available techniques” for data minimisation; - more guidance on retention periods; - direct access for consumers to their energy usage data. (EH/transl.fl)