EU countries call for the removal of barriers to data flows

reuters.com ^ | May 22, 2016 | Julia Fioretti

[Berlin_Freeper]

Half of the European Union's member states on Monday called for the removal of barriers to the free flow of data both within and outside the 28-nation bloc to ensure the continent can benefit from new data-driven technologies.

In a letter to the European Commission and the Netherlands - which holds the rotating EU presidency - ministers from countries including Poland, Britain, Sweden and Finland urged Brussels to make sure regulation is not a barrier to the development of data-driven technologies and to avoid one-size-fits-all rules for online platforms such as Amazon and Facebook.

[Gen.Blather]

There was a wonderful YouTube video on how the adoption of socialism freezes technological progress. (Couldn’t find it.) But the presenter pointed out how once socialism takes hold nothing changes. Houses using outhouses seized by the Bolsheviks as apartments were still using outhouses when torn down in the late 180’s. Cuba is in a time capsule. Why should data be any different?

[MarchonDC09122009]

EU regulation of Data is not necessarily a socialist governance issue.
The EU has strong data sovereignty rules in order to protect citizen privacy. EU privacy rules are considered human rights.
Some smaller member EU states want to weaken those protections in order to foster international technology business opportunities.
The Snowden NSA global Big Brother data snooping revelations have created much ill will in europe, and overturned Safe Harbor data transfer agreements.

“The strategy has faced accusations of protectionism - which the Commission says are unfounded - and data flows to the United States have endured a particularly tough ride since revelations of mass U.S. government snooping programs.”

“The EU is expected to present a proposal enabling the free flow of data across the bloc later this year to counter data localization initiatives in countries such as Germany and France.”

RE: “There was a wonderful YouTube video on how the adoption of socialism freezes technological progress. (Couldn’t find it.) But the presenter pointed out how once socialism takes hold nothing changes.”