Privacy & Information Security Law Blog

The Council of the European Union (the “Council”) released its conclusions following meetings held on February 24 and 25, 2011, regarding the European Commission’s November 4, 2010 Communication proposing “a comprehensive approach on personal data protection in the European Union” which we reported on last November.

Reporting from Israel, legal consultant Dr. Omer Tene writes:

On January 31, 2011, the European Commission formally approved Israel’s status as a country providing “adequate protection” for personal data under the European Data Protection Directive.  The decision is restricted to automated international data transfers from the EU, as well as to non-automated data transfers that are subject to further automated processing in Israel.  It will allow unrestricted transfers of personal data from the EU to Israel, for example between corporate affiliates or from European companies to data centers in Israel.

On January 17, 2011, the Centre for Information Policy Leadership at Hunton & Williams LLP (the “Centre”) released a response to the European Commission’s consultation paper, “A comprehensive approach on personal data protection in the European Union.”  In its response, prepared by Richard Thomas, former UK Information Commissioner and Global Strategy Advisor of the Centre, the Centre calls for a modernized European framework for data protection that addresses the realities of the digital age.

On January 11, 2011, Michelle O’Neill, U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade, held a briefing on her November 2010 meetings in Brussels with European data protection authorities.  She discussed a data protection and privacy forum that was convened in November at which she met with several high-level European regulators, including Jacob Kohnstamm, Viviane Reding and Peter Hustinx.  O’Neill mentioned “the right to be forgotten” as a current hot-button issue in Europe.  Commissioner Reding, who is firmly in charge of the reconsideration of the EU Data Protection Directive, focused on ensuring easier compliance with EU data protection rules and greater harmonization among Member States.  O’Neill stated that Peter Hustinx was encouraged by the work ongoing in the United States, including the “Green Paper” issued by the Department of Commerce.  He considers the various U.S. efforts a basis for further dialogue with U.S. authorities.  O’Neill noted that comments to the EU consultation are due January 15, 2011.  The Department of Commerce intends to file a response.

On December 1, 2010, the European Parliament hosted a Privacy Platform on the European Commission’s recent Communication proposing “a comprehensive approach on personal data protection in the European Union,” which is aimed at modernizing the current EU data protection framework.

The panel, hosted by European Parliament Member Sophie in ‘t Veld, included:

• The Head of Cabinet of the European Commission’s Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, Martin Selmayr (in Commissioner Viviane Reding’s absence);
• The Chairman of the Article 29 Working Party, Jacob Kohnstamm; and
• The European Data Protection Supervisor, Peter Hustinx.

The Platform was very well attended, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.

As the EU released new data protection proposals recommending stricter controls on individual online privacy, Hunton & Williams Brussels counsel Wim Nauwelaerts appeared on BBC TV and spoke to the Associated Press and The New York Times.  The articles also were featured globally in Forbes Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, CNBC, The International-Herald Tribune, The Parliament Magazine and other media sources.  London partner Bridget Treacy spoke with The Wall Street Journal, and the firm’s practice head Lisa Sotto spoke with The Washington Post.

On November 4, 2010, the European Commission (the “Commission”) released a draft version of its Communication proposing “a comprehensive approach on personal data protection in the European Union” (the “Communication”) with a view to modernizing the EU legal system for the protection of personal data.  The Communication is the result of the Commission’s review of the current legal framework (i.e., Directive 95/46/EC), which started with a high-level conference in Brussels in May 2009, followed by a public consultation and additional targeted stakeholders’ consultations throughout 2010.  Although the Commission considers the core principles of the Directive to still be valid, the Communication equally acknowledges that the existing legal framework for data protection in the European Union is no longer able to meet the challenges of rapid technological developments and globalization.

On October 15, 2010, the Article 29 Working Party published an Opinion finding that Uruguay ensures an adequate level of protection within the meaning of the European Data Protection Directive (Article 25(6) of Directive 95/46/EC).

This Opinion was issued pursuant to an official request Uruguay filed with the European Commission in October 2008.  While the Article 29 Working Party’s Opinion is an important step toward adequacy, the European Commission must now make a formal decision that the Uruguayan legal framework provides an adequate level of data protection under EU data protection law.  The European Commission will take the Article 29 Working Party’s Opinion into account when determining whether to issue an “adequacy decision” in the coming months.  As recently illustrated by the adequacy procedure for Israel, this process may prove to be difficult.

The Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (generally referred to as “Convention 108”), enacted in 1981, is the only legally-binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection.  The Convention is also of fundamental importance in providing the underlying legal framework for instruments such as the EU Data Protection Directive 95/46.  So far, 42 countries have become parties to Convention 108.

As the European Commission reviews the EU Directive, the Council of Europe also is preparing to review Convention 108.  The review will be conducted by the Council of Europe’s Consultative Committee on data protection (referred to as T-PD) in a process that will likely take several years.  The T-PD, which meets at the Council of Europe’s headquarters in Strasbourg, is primarily composed of representatives of national governments and data protection authorities, with the International Chamber of Commerce being the only private-sector entity with formal observer status.  The group has commissioned a legal study from an outside consultant to analyze Convention 108 and provide any recommended revisions by the end of 2010, and the T-PD will begin discussions at its upcoming meeting in November.

On September 2, 2010, police in New Zealand issued a statement to confirm that there was no evidence Google committed a criminal offense in relation to the data it collected from unsecured WiFi networks during the Street View photography capture exercise.  The case has now been referred back to the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner.  A spokesperson from the New Zealand police force took the opportunity to underline the need for Internet users to make sure that security measures are properly implemented when using WiFi connections in order to prevent their information from being improperly accessed.

In a statement released on August 2, 2010, the French Data Protection Authority (the “CNIL”) announced that the European Commission has adopted a new time frame for the revision of the EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC (the “Directive”).  Following a public consultation on the EU Data Protection Framework late last year, Commissioner Viviane Reding, who is in charge of Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, had announced that a proposal for the revision of the Directive would be presented in November 2010.  However, several European data protection authorities ...

On July 14, 2010, the Article 29 Working Party issued a press release regarding its findings on the implementation of the European Data Retention Directive (Directive 2006/24/EC).  The findings, compiled in a report to be contributed to the European Commission’s forthcoming evaluation of the Directive, indicate that the obligation to retain all telecom and Internet traffic data is not being applied correctly or uniformly across the EU Member States.  Specifically, the Working Party’s press release states that service providers retain and share data in ways contrary to the Directive.  The Working Party further noted that Member States’ reluctance to provide statistics on the use of retained data limits the ability to verify the value of data retention practices.

On July 7, 2010, the German Federal Office for Information Security, the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (“BSI”), published a basic paper on data security and data protection for radio-frequency identification (“RFID”) applications.  The paper, Technical Guidelines RFID as Templates for the PIA-Framework, describes how to use RFID in compliance with data protection requirements, and explains the relationship between the BSI’s technical guidelines for the secure use of RFIDs and the European Commission’s Privacy Impact Assessment (“PIA”) Framework.

On July 19, 2010, the Article 29 Working Party published a new set of frequently asked questions aimed at addressing some of the issues raised by the European Commission’s new Standard Contractual Clauses for the Transfer of Personal Data to Processors Established in Third Countries (2010/87/EU).  Among other things, the FAQs address the scope of the new model clauses and whether they can be used for intra-EEA data transfers.  The FAQs also clarify certain issues related to sub-processing.

The European Union’s Article 29 Working Party adopted a detailed recommendation on accountability which was submitted to the European Commission on July 13, 2010.  Opinion 3/2010 elaborates on the Working Party’s 2009 recommendation to include a new principle on accountability in the revised EU Data Protection Directive.  

On July 6, 2010, the Irish government formally objected to the adequacy procedure initiated by the European Commission that would have allowed the free flow of European personal data to Israel, over concerns of the possible use of the information by Israeli officials.  This political move follows recent revelations regarding forgery of European passports, including several from Ireland, and their alleged use by Israel’s intelligence services.

On June 18, 2010, the data protection authority of the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein published a press release and a comprehensive legal opinion on cloud computing.  The opinion provides an overview of cloud computing and discusses various practical and legal matters, including:

• Applicable law issues
• The legal basis for cloud computing and related processor and controller issues
• Problems associated with the possibility of third-party access
• The minimum requirements for data processor relationships and service provider contracts under the new German data protection law
• Technical and organizational security measures
• The legal landscape for clouds located outside the European Union

On April 29, 2010, German data protection authorities issued a resolution regarding the obligations of German data exporters with respect to U.S. data importers that have self-certified under the Safe Harbor program.  By requiring additional diligence when transferring data to Safe Harbor-certified entities, the resolution may appear to raise questions with respect to the European Commission’s decision that Safe Harbor certification is sufficient to demonstrate an adequate level of privacy protection.

Earlier this year, the EU’s Article 29 Working Party published an opinion finding that Israeli data protection law largely provides an “adequate level of data protection” under EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC.  The recommendation breaks new ground.  Law professor Omer Tene, who acted as an advisor to the Israeli government during the process, discussed Israel’s approval during this recorded segment from the Centre for Information Policy Leadership’s “First Friday” call on March 5, 2010.

On March 9, 2010, the European Court of Justice ruled that the Federal Republic of Germany’s practice of “state supervision” over data protection authorities violates EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC.  The case, brought by the EU Commission, is a milestone which will force Germany to change the structure of its DPA system and could have ramifications in other countries as well.

The Court’s decision is based on Article 28(1) of the Directive, which requires that data protection authorities (“DPAs”) act with “complete independence.” German law makes a distinction with regard to DPA supervision depending on whether the data processing is carried out by public or non-public bodies.  There are therefore different authorities responsible for monitoring public entities’ compliance with data protection provisions versus those that monitor compliance by private parties and undertakings governed by public law which compete on the market (öffentlich-rechtliche Wettbewerbsunternehmen) outside the public sector (such as transportation and utility companies).

On February 11, 2010, the plenary of the European Parliament rejected by a vote of 378 to 196 the agreement reached in 2009 between the EU and the U.S. to allow access by U.S. law enforcement authorities to the payment database of the financial consortium SWIFT.  The agreement had been negotiated between the EU Council of Ministers and the European Commission with the U.S. government to allow continued access to the database, a mirror copy of which had been moved by SWIFT from the U.S. to Europe.  With the Lisbon Treaty’s entry into force, the Parliament gained new powers to approve measures affecting law enforcement and civil liberties, and a number of members of the Parliament have expressed concern regarding the level of data protection provided for in the agreement.  According to news reports, several top U.S. government officials (including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner) had been lobbying the European Parliament to approve the agreement, on the grounds that it was essential to fight terrorism in both the U.S. and Europe.

On February 1, 2010, it became compulsory for randomly selected passengers at Heathrow and Manchester airports in the UK to pass through full body scanners before boarding their flights.  This enhanced security screening has been implemented following the attempted Christmas Day terrorist attack at the Detroit airport in the United States, after which the British government announced that it would begin mandatory body scanning at all UK airports.  The move has raised concerns about the excessive collection of personal data.

On February 5, 2010, the European Commission adopted a new set of standard contractual clauses (“SCCs”) for transfers of personal data from data controllers in the EU to data processors outside the EU.  View the European Commission press release.

On January 12, 2010, Ms. Viviane Reding, Commissioner-designate for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, was questioned during a public hearing before the European Parliament.  During this hearing, Ms. Reding revealed her priorities in the field of privacy and data protection.  “Fundamental rights and data protection will be top of the line” said Ms. Reding, who explained that she intends to incorporate the EU’s data protection rules into a modern and comprehensive legal instrument.

On December 1, 2009, the Article 29 Working Party adopted a contribution (the “Contribution”) to the Consultation of the European Commission on the legal framework for the fundamental right to the protection of personal data (the “Consultation”).  The Consultation was launched on July 9, 2009, to explore the challenges to personal data protection presented by new technologies and globalization.  The Consultation was also motivated by the recent adoption by the EU of the Lisbon Treaty, which will necessitate a reworking of structure of the EU legal framework for data protection.  The Contribution’s thoughtful examination of several important data protection issues makes it one of the most significant documents that the Working Party has issued in recent years.

Commissioner Viviane Reding has been chosen as Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights, and Citizenship in the new European Commission that is set to take office in early 2010 (assuming approval by the European Parliament).  Ms. Reding's responsibilities will thus include data protection, including the Commission's ongoing review of the EU framework for data protection.  She is currently EU Commissioner for Information Society & Media, where she oversaw review of the e-Privacy Directive and the EU legislative framework for telecommunications.  Commission President ...

On November 24, 2009, the European Parliament formally approved the European Union's telecoms reform package.  This reform proposed by the European Commission in November 2007 consists of various different EU Directives that set-up the legal framework applicable to the electronic communications sector (telecoms) and includes a new e-Privacy Directive.

New provisions of the e-Privacy Directive will strengthen the protection of privacy and personal data in the electronic communication sector and includes the following:

• mandatory notification for personal data breaches ...

On October 29, 2009, the European Commission (the “Commission”) proceeded to the second phase of infringement proceedings against the UK relating to the UK’s implementation of EU e-privacy and personal data protection laws.  EU Member States must ensure the confidentiality of communications by prohibiting interception and surveillance without user's consent.  The Commission maintains that the UK has failed to fully implement these requirements into its national laws and has identified three specific flaws in the existing UK laws governing the confidentiality of electronic communications:

• The UK does not have an independent national authority responsible for (i) supervising the interception of communications and (ii) complaints about unlawful interception of electronic communications, despite the requirement to this effect contained within EU laws and imposed on Member States;

On May 19 and 20 the European Commission held a conference which was perhaps the most important data protection event in Brussels since the Commission conference on evaluation of the EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC held in 2002. The conference was part of the Commission's current evaluation of the Directive, and was designed to explore both the current status of data protection in the EU and where it is headed in the coming years. Speakers included Jacques Barrot, the European Commissioner in charge of justice, freedom and security; Alex Türk, chairman of the CNIL (French Data Protection Authority) and the Article 29 Working Party; European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx; and representatives of European academia, business and non-governmental organizations.

On May 12, 2009, the European Commission issued a long-awaited recommendation on the implementation of privacy and data protection principles in applications supported by radio-frequency identification (“RFID”).  The recommendation follows a process initiated in 2006 when the European Commission launched a public consultation on RFID technologies.  Following this public consultation and in order to protect consumers’ privacy and data protection, the European Commission decided to take further steps by preparing a recommendation to regulate the use of RFID.

On March 17, 2009, the Article 29 Working Party released Opinion 3/2009 on the Commission’s draft decision for standard contractual clauses (SCCs), which discusses proposed updates of the clauses allowing the transfer of personal data to sub-processors established in third-world countries, in light of increased global outsourcing practices. Opinion 3/2009 is available here, and further analysis on the Working Party’s Opinion is available here.

To read more and for more EU data protection updates, please click here.

Following numerous complaints about the use of behavioral advertising technology by internet service providers, the European Commission (the “Commission”) launched infringement proceedings against the United Kingdom for an alleged failure to keep people’s online details confidential. The EU Telecoms Commissioner, Viviane Reding, has called upon the UK to change its national laws to ensure the confidentiality of communications by prohibiting interception and surveillance without the user's consent. If the UK does not comply, the Commission can issue a final warning before taking the UK to the European Court of Justice.

On March 17, the Article 29 Working Party released its Opinion 3/2009 (dated March 5) on standard contractual clauses for the transfer of personal data from data controllers in the EU to data processors outside the EU. The Opinion deals with proposed changes to the European Commission's decision 2002/16 containing standard clauses for controller to processor transfers. The Opinion discusses proposals to update these clauses to accommodate data transfers to sub-processors, in light of increased global outsourcing. Although not mentioned in the Opinion, the March 17 Opinion is based on the proposal made in October 2006 to the European Commission by three business groups (the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) and the Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing (FEDMA)). The proposal of the three business groups would amend the existing clauses from 2002 to bring them into line with business realities.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009, marks the second annual international Data Privacy Day, which brings together a broad coalition of privacy professionals from both the private and public sectors, as well as corporations, academics and policymakers, with the goal of promoting awareness and collaboration on a variety of data privacy issues.

A wide variety of events celebrating Data Privacy Day has been scheduled throughout the week across the United States, Canada and the European Union. The Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security and Intel Corporation are sponsoring a ...