[atlarge-discuss] OUTREACH FYI: TOUGH EU PRIVACY RULES

[espresso@e-scape.net]

These are the crucial points of data privacy:
"EU standards specify that data may be collected only 
for "specified, explicit and legitimate purposes, and to be held only if it 
is relevant, accurate and up to date." Citizens may access any data about 
themselves, find out its source, correct inaccuracies, and pursue legal 
recourse for misuse."

I believe strongly that the information we (or anyone else) might collect should meet those criteria, whether the U.S. adopts them or not. That goes double if we expect to have any real credibility as standing on the moral high ground compared to ICANN.

Regards,

Judyth

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>From NewsScan Daily http://www.newsscan.com/newsscan/

TOUGH EU PRIVACY RULES INFLUENCE U.S. WEB PRACTICES
Europe's strict approach to consumer data protection is forcing many 
U.S.-based companies to follow suit in order to continue serving their 
European customers. "Europeans are extremely concerned about the use of 
data about people," says Rockwell Schnabel, the U.S. ambassador to the 
European Union. "The data privacy issue is a huge issue over there. 
American partners have to live with those rules, and they can't do with it 
what they can with American data." A case in point is Microsoft's Passport 
online ID service that enables users to log in once and then move from one 
secure Web site to another. Consumer and privacy groups had accused 
Microsoft of not taking adequate steps to protect consumers' personal 
information and in a settlement earlier this month, Microsoft admitted no 
wrongdoing, but agreed to government oversight of its consumer privacy 
policies for the next 20 years. A separate Passport investigation by the EU 
is still pending. "The EU directive raised the bar on the practices by U.S. 
companies for U.S. consumers," says Marc Rotenberg, head of the Electronic 
Privacy Information Center. "Passport is a good example of that, because 
Microsoft is very much aware that its products are going to have to meet EU 
privacy standards." EU standards specify that data may be collected only 
for "specified, explicit and legitimate purposes, and to be held only if it 
is relevant, accurate and up to date." Citizens may access any data about 
themselves, find out its source, correct inaccuracies, and pursue legal 
recourse for misuse. (San Jose Mercury News 29 Aug 2002)
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/local/3966648.htm


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Judyth Mermelstein     "cogito ergo lego ergo cogito..."
Montreal, QC           <espresso@e-scape.net>
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