Europe must be more ambitious on data protection

Hustinx believes privacy should be designed into technologies from the very start

Europe's data protection chief has called on the European Commission (EC) to be more proactive and ambitious in its efforts to update the legal framework which protects individuals' personal data.

Peter Hustinx said during a speech at the European Privacy and Data Protection Commissioners' Conference in Prague yesterday that the EC needs to remain ambitious in its approach to avoid the risk of data protection laws losing relevance.

"The stakes are not more and not less than how to ensure privacy and data protection in a highly developed information society of 2015, 2020 or beyond," he said.

"An ambitious approach is the only way in which we can ensure that our privacy and personal data are well protected in the future.

"It is essential that the EC comes up with proposals that take into account what is really needed, and does not settle for less ambitious results."

Hustinx outlined several key conditions for an effective legal framework, including more accountability for data controllers and stronger enforcement powers for data protection rules.

He added that data protection should be designed into information and communication technologies from their inception, and that user controlled parameters, such as those in internet browsers, should be set by default to the most privacy-compliant setting.