EU Proposes To Protect Data, Not Rights

The EU, as ever, favours beauraucracy over common sense as it seeks to replace its 1995 data protection directive with EU wide laws.

The trouble is they're missing a fundamental principle that desperately needs enshrining in law - that of individual rights. By this I don't mean the rights afforded under law, but the rights generated by an individual as they register their information, take photos, blog and create what the law, somewhat euphemistically calls 'art'.

But rather than looking at citizens' rights and affording them the same protection available to corporations, the proposed legislation seeks to create prescribed frameworks on data portability that are likely to stifle innovation and actually result in less freedom and choice for the individual.