EPIC's Rotenberg Addresses European Parliament
EPIC President Marc Rotenberg addressed the European Parliament on the issue of The Electronic Mass Surveillance of EU Citizens. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs has convened a series of hearings to examine reports of the monitoring and surveillance of Europeans. Mr. Rotenberg explained that there is now a vigorous debate in the United States and that there would be some changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act concerning surveillance within the United States. But he also warned that US lawmakers were unlikely to make changes that respond to the concerns of European citizens. He urged EU lawmakers to suspend trade negotiations with the US pending an adequate resolution of the surveillance inquiry. He also suggested a review of the PNR and SWIFT data transfer arrangements, which lack Privacy Act safeguards. Finally, Mr. Rotenberg recommended the adoption of an international framework for privacy protection.