Fergie's Tech Blog

Push Intensifies for Personal Data Rules Change

Paul Meller writes on InfoWorld:

Calls for a change to international rules on data transfers intensified Monday when two leading trade associations called on U.S. and European Union decision-makers to take action.

The American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) "urgently call upon decision-makers on both sides of the Atlantic to deliver real progress on international transfers of personal data, a matter of growing concern for businesses worldwide," the trade groups said in a statement.

The call for action comes as more and more companies face legal uncertainty sparked by the very different approach to data privacy in the U.S. and Europe.

In recent weeks SWIFT, a Belgian financial data transfer company, has been found guilty of handing over personal data to U.S. authorities in breach of European data protection laws. SWIFT was forced to hand over the data by U.S. officials investigating terrorist financing.

posted by Fergie @ 10/23/2006 11:11:00 AM