Telco Mandate from Brussels Offers UK Government Ideal Opportunity to Update its Privacy Laws

Current UK Privacy Laws do Not Fully Comply with the European E-Privacy Directive

(18.11.09) - Following the European Council's mandate to telcos to inform their customers if their data is lost, data security specialist Imperva is calling on the UK government to update its privacy legislation to require all technology service companies to do likewise.

"Whilst it's good news that this amendment to the EU Directive will apply to telcos, it's a great shame that it does not apply to other technology firms such as Internet service providers, as was originally requested by the European Parliament," said Amichai Shulman, Imperva's chief technology officer.

"The news comes as the European Commission has warned the UK government that it has failed to adequately enact European privacy laws and, as a result, has until the end of the year to resolve the situation," he added. According to Shulman, the Commission appears to be concerned that current UK privacy laws do not fully comply with the European E-Privacy Directive and the Data Protection Directive.

This is, he explained, an ideal time for the UK government to 'kill two birds with one stone' and amend its privacy legislation to meet the Commission's requirements, as well as extend the scope of the European Council's mandate on telecoms companies to include all Internet service firms. "What we have year is the exact opposite of a perfect storm - a perfect calm, if you will - that could engender some extremely positive changes to UK legislation that will appease the mandarins in Brussels, as well as the population as a whole," he said.

"The UK government is a good position on this, so now is the time to act and make everyone a winner as far as technology-related data privacy is concerned," he added. (Imperva: ma)