European Internet users may be getting better control over information posted online, thanks to some proposed sweeping reforms lawmakers proposed Wednesday designed to protect digital privacy. The suggested law calls for a "right to be forgotten" and a "right to data portability." The former would require Internet companies such as Facebook and Google to completely wipe all of a user's info from their servers if such a request was made. The latter demands users be allowed to easily transfer data from one online service to another, a currently difficult task.
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The "right to be forgotten" wouldn't be granted to users attempting to remove information relevant to a criminal investigation.
All online businesses operating in Europe would be bound to the new rules, whether or not they're based on the continent. Should web services fail to comply with these rights, they would be slapped with fines of up to ?1 million or up to 2% of the global annual turnover of a company (The total value of all products made in a 12-month period).
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In the past, European Union (EU) member states have issued varying interpretations on existing digital privacy laws. Those different analyses have resulted in discordant levels of enforcement from country to country. If passed, this law would unify all 27 EU member states under a single set of privacy rules.
The EU argues this Europe-wide standardization would save businesses money by providing a sole definitive source of online privacy law for the continent. However, many internet companies depend on access to users' data for advertisement revenue.
A spokesman for European Union justice commissioner, Viviane Reding, told the BBC that the proposed laws are a means of protecting children and young adults who share details online which they later want removed for professional or personal reasons.
"These rules are particularly aimed at young people as they are not always as aware as they could be about the consequence of putting photos and other information on social network websites, or about the various privacy settings available," said spokesman Matthew Newman.
For the proposed new rules to become European law, they will need approval from the EU's member states followed by ratification from European Parliament. That process may take up to two years.
Do you think Internet users should be granted a "right to be forgotten?" Let us know in the comments below.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, richterfoto
This story originally published on Mashable here.
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