Stronger privacy rules for electronic communication proposed

Brussels, Jan 11 (IANS) The European Commission on Tuesday proposed stronger legislation to ensure privacy in all electronic communications.

The Commission said in a statement that the measures proposed aimed to extend the scope of current rules to all electronic communication providers, create new possibilities to process communication data and reinforce trust and security in the Digital Single Market, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, the Commission proposed new rules to make sure that when personal data is handled by EU institutions and bodies, privacy is protected in the same way it is in European Union (EU) member states under the General Data Protection Regulation, it said.

These measures will better protect online communication and open new business opportunities.

For example, the current ePrivacy Directive only applies to traditional telecoms operators, while privacy rules will now also cover new providers of electronic communication services.

Besides, by updating the current directive with a regulation, those in the EU will enjoy the same level of protection in their electronic communication.

The Commission is calling on the European Parliament and the European Council to ensure their smooth adoption by May 25, 2018, said the statement.