Brussels, 12/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 11 April, the European Commission began a public consultation on the privacy and electronic communications directive (2002/58/EC) which will run until 5 July 2016. It is seeking the views of stakeholders on the need, for example, to extend the scope of the directive to new competitors such as WhatsApp, Skype or Viber.
The privacy directive has covered the processing of personal data since 2002, along with respect for private life in the field of electronic communications. It was updated in 2009 to provide clearer rules on customers' rights to privacy.
In its strategy for a single digital market, the Commission announced plans to revise the directive to bring it in line with the digital age and the new general regulation on personal data protection adopted by the EU in December 2015. It is expected to unveil a new version of the directive before the end of the year. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)