The European Union’s data protection watchdog warned Europeans that new anti-terror and anti-crime rules –that require storage of telephone records and airline passenger information-were rushed into law without proper safeguards protecting civil liberties and could lead to legal battles, according to wire service reports.
In December, EU governments reached a contentious agreement to retain phone and e-mail data for use in anti-terror investigations. They also plan to rush through plans for passports and visas with biometric technology, including a computer chip with fingerprint data.
The new measures could lead to violations of privacy rights, as well as legal fights in national and EU courts, as it abuses the right to data privacy, warned Peter Hustinx, the EU’s data protection supervisor, who analyzes all EU laws and regulations involving the use of information.
“You had better be aware,” Hustinx said, referring to the 450 million citizens of EU countries.
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