EU protection for Internet users

The EU is to step up protection for Internet users' privacy following the adoption today of key Socialist amendments to the e-privacy directive.

Internet service providers will be required to tell customers about hacker attacks that could lead to privacy invasions such as identity theft or email snooping. The service providers will also have to list network security breaches in their annual reports.

When governments access individuals' private data, the service providers must inform national regulatory authorities, who can refer cases to court when governments exceed their authority.

Members of the all-party civil liberties committee urged governments to impose penal sanctions for infringements of the e-privacy directive.

Said committee vice-president and Socialist spokesman on the report Stavros Lambrinidis after today's vote: "The highest possible protection of the privacy of all citizens who use the internet should be non-negotiable."

Referring to the need to resolve contradictions between some of the amendments adopted, he added: "The Socialists will cooperate with other groups to ensure that the final report reflects the Parliament's unequivocal and unwavering commitment to the protection of fundamental rights of our citizens.

"The monetary interests of big internet companies cannot determine for Europe the rules that we set for the protection of our citizens' rights."

The committee threw out attempts to get round strict privacy protection in order to protect alleged intellectual property interests.

Mr Lambrinidis rejected a possible exemption from the need for companies to inform national regulatory authorities, if security breaches did not "cause harm", adding: "The unlawful violation of a citizen's privacy rights is harmful by definition, both to the individual and to our democratic societies,"

The report is expected to be adopted by the full Parliament in September.