Seven MEPs from the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) travelled to Washington and Boston from 26-28 February to discuss data protection, artificial intelligence, and the fight against terrorism with US authorities (see EUROPE 12431/19).
In a statement issued on Friday 28 February, they said they had taken the opportunity to express their concerns about the ‘Privacy Shield’ (see EUROPE 12400/9), the American ‘CLOUD Act’, and the ongoing negotiations for an EU-US agreement on access to electronic evidence (see EUROPE 12413/14).
“We have raised our concerns with US authorities regarding the US CLOUD Act, the ongoing negotiations on a new agreement as well as the remaining deficiencies with the ‘Privacy Shield’”, said LIBE Committee Chairman Juan Fernando López Aguilar.
On the other hand, the delegation welcomed the fact that the US Congress is now “seriously” considering the development of federal privacy legislation based on the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
MEPs also had the opportunity to see the progress of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the United States, particularly for law enforcement purposes. In this context, they discussed the need for legislation in this area with US authorities and stakeholders. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)