Brussels, 14/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - In a video published on her website on Tuesday 14 April, the commissioner responsible for the information society and media, Viviane Reding, stated that Europeans must have the right to decide on how information relating to them is used. She warns that the European Commission will take measures if the member states do not ensure that new technologies, such as behavioural advertising, RFID smart chips or online social networking sites, which can in some cases facilitate the use of the personal data, respect this right. "European privacy rules are crystal clear: a person's information may only be used with their prior consent. We cannot give up this basic principle, and have all of our exchanges monitored, surveyed and stored in exchange for a promise of 'more relevant' advertising!", said Ms Reding.
Regarding electronics smart chips for use with RFID (radio frequency identification) technology, which are built into certain products and are designed for the remote transmission of information, Viviane Reding stressed that these will not achieve their full economic potential unless "they are used by the consumer and not on the consumer". On the social networking sites, the commissioner called for greater efforts to reinforce these elements, reiterating that the Commission had called upon them to self-regulate to ensure that the profiles of minors are managed carefully: "I firmly believe that at least the profiles of minors must be private by default and unavailable to Internet search engines (...). I am ready to follow this up with new rules if I have to", Ms Reding warned. In February this year, the 17 largest online social networking sites concluded an agreement to improve the respect for privacy on their sites.
Regarding the principle of "technological neutrality", which stipulates that the security of personal data must be respected, whatever the type of technology used, the spokesperson to Commissioner Reding, Martin Selmayr, said: "we have fairly advanced rules (...). What is missing is a strict and correct application of them in the member states. In the current process (...) of the 'Telecoms Package', a number of proposals were made by the Commission in late 2007, particularly on infringements of security on the networks". Mr Selmayr also indicated that the Commission would, at the end of April, publish recommendations on the application of Community rules on security of personal data. At the moment, protection of privacy is guaranteed by the "Privacy and Electronic Communications" directive and by a directive on "Data Protection".
Ms Reding's video message can be seen at: http: //ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/ reding/video/index_en.htm. (I.L./transl.fl)